Final candidates forum hosts parish council hopefuls

Ten candidates in the St. Mary Parish Council race took part in the political forum Thursday hosted by the City of Franklin, Chamber of commerce and Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau.
The candidates answered questions they were provided in advance.
The candidates included Craig Mathews and Lue Pearl Washington in the District 1 race; Ella Hamilton and J Ina, District 2; Wendell Bogan, Rodney Olander and Dale Rogers, District 3; William Paul Frost, at-large District 9; and incumbent Steve Bierhorst and Reginald Weary, at-large District 10.
All of the candidates took stances against domestic violence and littering and said they would support continued funding of those programs by the parish council.
In the final question, the candidates listed what they thought are the biggest issues facing the parish.
Ina said first on his list is the lack of youth programs. He said he would work with the school board and local governments to develop after school activity centers at local schools.
Secondly, he cited educating the workforce, developing new industry and easing building permit requirements as ways to stimulate the economy. He said he would work with state legislators to accomplish the latter. He said he also would support tax incentives for new businesses.
Third on his list of issues was roads, drainage sewage, he said.
Hamilton’s list consisted of issues included housing, jobs and skilled labor education.
She said small factory business should be encouraged to develop.
She also said she would encourage a united parish.
Frost said the economy was top on his list of important issues.
He said he thinks the economy is too dependent on the oil and gas industry and stressed the importance of diversification.
In order to attract new industry he suggested lowering taxes and developing a workforce.
Secondly, he said, would be consolidation of parish government “to cut costs and stop duplication of efforts.”
Thirdly, he said he thinks regulations on building permits should be eased and fees lowered.
Washington three top issues included roads and drainage, affordable housing and economy and job development.
She said if elected, she would work with the rest of the council to find solutions to those issues.
Mathews, who served as the District 1 representative on the council from 2008-2011, said he sees more than three pressing issues but listed a lack of affordable housing and high property tax millages.
He said he thinks restrictions for housing developers should be relaxed.
“People have to have someplace to live if you’re going to create jobs for them to come here and work,” he said.
He added that all governments in the parish need to work together to find ways to lower the millages.
The three top issues listed by Bierhorst, who has served the past 24 years on the council in both single-member and at-large seats, were the completion of Interstate 49, hurricane and flood protection and the full support of law enforcement.
Completion of I-49 is crucial to economic development, he said.
If re-elected, Bierhorst said he would continue to assist the Levee District with its hurricane and flood protection projects.
He said he thinks law enforcement should be provided with all tools they need and added that the parish jail will soon be faced with a major renovation project.
Weary listed infrastructure, economic development and unifying the parish as his top three issues.
“They all kind of work hand and hand,” he said. Infrastructure improvements would be conducive to enticing new industry, he said.
More entertainment opportunities would also lend to economic development, he said.
He said he sees “a different mindset,” from the east and west sides of the parish. “It’s not an east thing or a west thing, it’s about the parish.”
Economic development was Bogan’s top issue. He said he thinks industry could be developed from existing resources in agriculture and commercial fishing.
“It’s about creating jobs and taxes for our people,” he said.
Olander listed jobs, building codes and infrastructure on his list of top priorities.
New jobs would create new revenue for the parish, he said. Lower property taxes would help in the direction, he said.
He noted that the parish recently joined the South Central Planning and Development Commission which will result in much lower building permit fees.
Lastly, Olander said he would work with state legislators to continue to get funding for infrastructure projects.
The economy and jobs topped Rogers’ list of issues.
Rogers, currently a Franklin city councilman, said he would continue to support vocational-tech schools to build the labor force, work to lower building permit fees and oversee the completion of the U.S. 90 interchange at La. 318.
“The Big Split,” of the east and west sides of the parish “has to be put to an end,” he said, and added that he would support projects parishwide.