At the same time Revenue Secretary Tim Barfield was playing a lead legislative role for Gov. Bobby Jindal this session, primarily trying to make sure lawmakers avoided a net tax increase, other politicos were encouraging him to run for mayor of Baton Rouge.
Barfield, who was charged by Jindal with playing point on revenue and tax bills this year, confirmed the recruitment effort over a lunch of chicken parmesan poboys at Digiulio Brothers, just four miles outside the shadow of the Capitol.
“I’ve never had any interest in running for public office,” he said, fiddling with the sugar packets on the table, then looking up. “My wife, even less so.”
Soft-spoken at times, Barfield is a product of the Jindal brand, having previously served as the governor’s executive counsel and as director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission. His full-time focus over the last two months or so has been on the session, balancing his position of revenue secretary with that of a special legislative liaison role.
When lawmakers had questions about whether bills satisfy the governor’s definition of revenue neutral, it was Barfield who issued the answers. It’s a complicated framework, where for every $1 raised in taxes by lawmakers, they had to attempt to cut a corresponding $1 from the budget.
It was the session’s undoing in the final days and Barfield was at the center of the storm.
“I’ve met with the governor quite a few times this session, but I meet with his staff daily,” said Barfield. “The biggest challenge has been trying to get a compromise that the administration finds acceptable and that is acceptable with the House and Senate. It’s like getting Mars and Jupiter and the moon in line. You need a political solution for the Legislature and we want a practical solution that doesn’t have the state making cuts in six months.”
Critics complained that Barfield was pushing a plan that places Louisiana in a zero sum game, where revenue equals reductions. But lawmakers also said they appreciated Barfield’s approach to negotiations, with many citing his corporate background. He was previously CEO of The Shaw Group and chief development officer for Amedisys.
Is a return to the private sector in the cards for Barfield as Jindal’s term comes to an end, or at least in the foreseeable future?
“I think that’s very likely,” Barfield said. “I’m really focused on getting through this session. There will be time later to sit down and look at all of the options.”