Caddo Commissioners want more terms
As we all know, never does very much time pass by before there is another election in Louisiana. So it is, therefore, that there is one scheduled for Oct. 19. Some areas will have races on which to decide, other areas will have little or not much of anything.
Because some people are already voting by mail and early voting will soon be upon us – it’s Oct. 5-12 – I thought it was time to take a look at what will be on the ballot. If you are not registered and do want to vote, the last day to register for the Oct.19 election is Sept.18.
In Caddo Parish, there is Caddo District Court race. It’s officially a special election to fill the vacancy created when District Court Judge Jeanette Garrett won a seat on the Second Circuit Court of Appeal – without opposition. Two candidates are running. They are Shreveport attorney Mike Miller and Assistant District Attorney Brady O’Callaghan. Both are Republicans. Not all Caddo voters will cast ballots in this one because it is in a majority-white judicial subdistrict.
There is also a special election to fill the vacancy on the Caddo Commission in District 5 created when Joyce Bowman passed away. Bowman’s son, Jerald, was appointed by the Commission to fill the seat on an interim basis. He is running to fill out the remainder of his mother’s term. His opponent is Earnestine Coleman. Both are Democrats. The winner will have to run for a full term in 2015.
Now to a what some politicos consider a controversial proposition on the ballot for all of Caddo voters. The commission is asking voters to amend its charter to allow members to serve five consecutive terms before being term-limited. Currently, commissioners are term-limited after three four-year terms. If passed, it means that commissioners could serve 20 years before having to give up their seat. The proposal was a compromise. Some commissioners wanted to eliminate term limits altogether. Some were okay with three terms. Voila! They settled on five consecutive terms. Commissioner Matthew Linn was the only negative vote to put this on the ballot.
Critics of the proposal say that this is the kind of change in term limits that should be on the ballot when there are more races which spur a larger turnout of voters. It is likely that the turnout on Oct.19 will be very low since several areas of the parish have nothing else to vote on.
The Commission is also asking for the approval on a $23.390 million bond issue for the purpose of making capital improvements, including constructing, acquiring and/or improving roads, streets, and bridges, as well as drains and drainage facilities, public buildings and recreational areas.
Caddo Registrar of Voters Ernie Roberson is always right-on when it comes to predicting how many voters will turn out for an election. On the two Caddo Commission proposals, which all voters in Caddo Parish are eligible to vote on, Roberson says he expects the turnout to be only about 6-8 percent because for many parish voters, there will be nothing else to vote on.
The only other election in Caddo Parish takes place in Blanchard where an alderman seat needs to be filled. Running in that race are Jeff Guin and Steve Umling. Both are Republicans.
It will be a quiet election day in Bossier Parish. Only one item is on the ballot, and that is in School Board District 3 to fill a vacancy when School Board member Allison Brigham resigned because she was moving outside the district. The candidates are Jill S. Frost, Other Party, and Frank Kelly, Republican. The district includes Benton elementary, middle, and high schools as well as Legacy and Princeton elementary schools.
Minden should have a good turnout of voters to elect a new mayor. Longtime mayor Bill Robertson passed away recently. The candidates are Joe Cornelius Sr., a Democrat; Tommy Davis, a Republican; and Walter “WOO” Morgan Jr., a Democrat. Voters in District A will also choose a new city councilman. The candidates there are Wayne Edwards, a Democrat, and Darrell Morris, a Republican. Also in Webster Parish, a mayor will be elected in the Town of Cullen and the Village of Heflin.
DeSoto Parish voters are being asked to approve a property tax of 5.62 million for 10 years. The tax, which would produce about $3.7 million a year, would be used for constructing and maintaining public roads and bridges and for the purpose of purchasing equipment and supplies for the parish.
So there you have it. Oct.19 will be a rather limited election day in area parishes. Nevertheless, it is always important to vote, so hopefully many of you will. Consider this a warm-up for election year 2014. It promises to be one of the most exciting election years ever in Louisiana, highlighted by the U.S. Senate race where Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu is seeking a fourth six-year term. There will be many local races also, such as Shreveport mayor and city council, and I will certainly be keeping you informed on those. Add to that races for judicial seats, district attorney, and school board, just to mention a few. I can’t wait.
Lou Gehrig Burnett, an award-winning journalist, has been involved with politics for 44 years and was a congressional aide in Washington, D.C., for 27 years. He also served as executive assistant to former Shreveport Mayor Bo Williams. Burnett is the publisher of the weekly “FaxNet Update” and can be reached at 861-0552 or louburnett@comcast.net.
