In Slidell, we observed a very contentious election between the two top vote getters for Chief of Police and in Mandeville; the mayoral race has come down to a photo finish and a recount of the votes. It brought back memories and similarities of the 2000 presidential election with “swift-boating” and “hanging chads”.
Slidell Chief of Police
Candidates for Slidell Chief of Police has now pitted political newcomer Randy Smith, who garnered 48% of the vote in the general election while former Slidell Police Chief and current Mayor Ben Morris pulled in 41% of the vote. The two candidates are now pitted once again for the May 1st run-off election. J.J. Jennings and Jason Zar garnered 10% and 1% of the vote respectively.
The City of Slidell is the only municipality on the northshore that elects a chief of police. With exactly 48.7% of the vote on election night, Randy Smith said, “The strategy we have at this point is to get the voters back to the polls. That’s the key and we can’t say we have this in the bag.”
Although his opponent has a plethora of experience as former police chief and the current mayor, Smith said, “I believe Ben has a lot of name recognition here in town with over 20 years of public service in the area, for me to do as well as I have in the general election, it shows that the citizens of Slidell have spoken and they want new leadership in Slidell. I am very excited about my candidacy and campaign at this time.”
Former Slidell Chief of Police and current Mayor Ben Morris, who captured 41% of the vote to earn a spot in the run-off election, said, “I have been running the past six weeks while my opponent has been running for that past two and a half years, I am not disappointed at all. I am in the race for the long run and will wait to see what happens.”
While voter turnout was dismal, Morris said, “It’s such a shame that the voters don’t take the responsibility of voting more seriously. I am taking these last four weeks of the campaign very seriously and my opponent certainly will have a fight on his hands. We’re working extremely hard.”
Mandeville Mayor
In Mandeville, mayoral candidates Trilby Lenfant and Don Villere traded barbs during the last weeks of the campaign, which has yielded a razor sharp finish with Villere edging Lenfant by a mere four votes before the sun had set. Lenfant had challenged the election and asked for a recount of the votes. At week’s end, with the recount complete and certified, Villere still held his lead, but with only three votes instead of the four on election night.
There will be no legal challenge to the March 27th election on Monday April 5th (the last day to file a lawsuit challenging the contest) and Villere says he plans on moving forward by taking his oath of office as mayor of Mandeville as early as Tuesday morning.
Villere said, “It’s been a long week of ‘Who Won’ and ‘Let’s certify the vote’! Right now, as far as I am concerned, I am the official winner. The secretary of state’s office has officially declared me the winner and I plan to take my oath of office and have my father swear me in on the steps of city hall.”
This mayoral race will probably go down in the history books as one of the closest elections on the northshore in recent history. Villere says, “If there were just two people who would have voted for my opponent instead of me, I would have lost by one vote. That’s how close this race was for the residents of Mandeville.”
Slidell Mayor
In Slidell, the mayoral race was much more subdued with current Chief of Police Freddy Drennan drawing 56% of the vote to an easy win in the general election by outpolling his challengers Jay Trainor with 29% of the vote and Rickey Hursey with 15%.
Mayor-elect Freddy Drennan said, “I am very humbled and deeply honored that the residents of Slidell have seen fit to elect me as their mayor. It’s kinda sorta sinking in now, but I don’t officially take office until July 1st. I have already started to put together a transition team and I have appointed the current city attorney, Tim Mathison, to be my chief of staff. I feel Tim and I will work well together and I look forward to working with my council.”
In following the footsteps of Mayor Ben Morris, who was at the helm of the city during the aftermath of Katrina, Drennan knows there is still a lot of work yet to be done in bringing Slidell back and taking care of some unfinished business is foremost in his mind. Drennan says, “One of my priorities is to make sure we bring flood protection to the City of Slidell. Although most of the work needed will take place just outside of city limits, it vitally important that we work closely with parish, state and federal agencies to make sure these projects come to fruition. Additionally, and as I said in my campaign, I will work hard to bring economic activity back to Slidell. We have to continue building our business base.”
Slidell City Council
In Slidell’s district “B” council race, Sam Abney won this seat with 57% of the vote with his opponent, Richard Reardon, garnering 43% of the vote.
The district “C” council race will go to a run-off between incumbent district councilman Warren Crocket who received 46% of the vote with political newcomer Buddy Lloyd receiving 36% of the vote. Both will face-off on May 1st in a run-off election. The third candidate, Val Vanney, finished the race last with 19% of the vote.
The district “F” council seat was settled with Jay Newcomb getting 56% of the vote, while his opponent Terry Youngs received 44%.
In Slidell, Incumbent Council Members At-Large Landon Cusimano and Kim Harbison were re- elected without opposition. Incumbent Council Members from District A - Lionel Hicks, District D - Joe Fraught, and District G - Bill Borchert, Jr. were re-elected without opposition as well. The new Council Member from District E, former Mayor Sam Caruso, was elected without opposition.
Let us not forget the Charter amendments that were proposed in Slidell. Of the nine proposed charter amendments, ranging from the mundane deletions of obsolete sections, to more contentious changes that affect the Mayor’s and Council’s compensation, to title changes for Clerk of the Council and employment timelines, only eight were passed. Charter amendment seven was defeated with 53% of the vote. This proposed amendment was to authorize the council to pass ordinances in emergency situations, which were allowed to become law within 12 hours after its ratification, even without the mayor’s signature.
In Mandeville, the proposition of a half-cent sales tax renewal for 10 years for paving, improving, repairing and maintaining streets (including sidewalks and bike paths), repairing and maintaining existing bridges and constructing, acquiring and maintaining roadside drainage improvements was approved by Mandeville voters with 60% of the vote. The week of the election, The St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce recommended voters reject this proposition.
The Folsom area overwhelmingly approved a vote on a 10 year 19.68 mills property tax for their fire department with 97% of the vote. The Folsom fire department had this election delayed by the state’s bond commission, which had been a source of controversy late last year when the fire department feared it would run out of money to keep its operations up and running.
Early voting for the May 1st election will begin on Saturday, April 17th and run through Saturday, April 24th.
Official election results for the March 27th election:
Mandeville Mayoral Special Election
Trilby Lenfant – 1,369 – 50%
Donald J. Villere – 1,372 – 50% - winner
Slidell Mayoral Election
Freddy Drennan – 3,250 – 56% - winner
Rickey Hursey – 896 – 15%
Jay Trainor – 1,666 – 29%
Slidell Chief of Police Election
JJ Jennings – 591 – 10%
Ben Morris – 2,377 – 41% - run-off
Randy Smith – 2,810 – 48% - run-off
Jason Zar – 57 – 1%
Slidell Council Member District B
Sam Abney – 511 – 57% - winner
Richard Reardon - 390 – 43%
Slidell Council Member District C
Warren Crockett – 398 – 46% - run-off
Buddy Lloyd – 310 – 36% - run-off
Val Vanney – 162 – 19%
Slidell Council Member District F
Jay Newcomb – 556 – 56% - winner
Terry Youngs - 442 – 44%
City of Slidell Home Rule Charter Proposed Amendment Propositions
Proposition No. 1
Summary: Provides for the deletion of the following obsolete sections.
2-02(A) of the Slidell Home Rule Charter
Yes – 2894 – 59%
No – 1995 – 41%
Proposition No. 2
Summary: Provides for the deletion of the following obsolete sections.
Section 8-11 of the Slidell Home Rule Charter
Yes – 2942 – 60%
No – 1940 – 40%
Proposition No. 3
Summary: Changes the term “clerk of the council” to “Council Administrator” throughout the Charter.
Yes – 3056 – 63%
No – 1767 – 37%
Proposition No. 4
Summary: Provides for annual establishment of Council member compensation through the budget process.
Yes – 2680 – 55%
No – 2034 – 45%
Proposition No. 5
Summary: Provides for annual establishment of the Mayor’s compensation through the budget process.
Yes – 2874 – 59%
No – 2034 – 41%
Proposition No. 6
Summary: Provides for annual establishment of the Police Chief’s compensation through the budget process.
Yes – 2916 – 60%
No – 1951 – 40%
Proposition No. 7
Summary: Provides for emergency ordinances of the City Council to become law without the Mayor’s signature after 12 hours of submission.
Yes – 2287 – 47%
No – 2600 – 53%
Proposition No. 8
Summary: Provides for elected officials to take office on July 1 following their election.
Yes – 3352 – 68%
No – 1549 – 32%
Proposition No. 9
Summary: Provides for the deletion of the prohibition of City Council members being employed by the City within one year following the end of their term.
Yes - 2531 – 51%
No – 2387 – 49%
City of Mandeville Sales Tax Proposition (1/2% Sales Tax Continuation)
Summary: 1/2% sales tax continuation for 10 years for (i) paving, improving, repairing and maintaining streets (including sidewalks and bike paths), (ii) repairing and maintaining existing bridges and (iii) constructing, acquiring and maintaining roadside drainage improvements.
Yes – 1520 – 60%
No – 1022 – 40%
Fire Protection District No. 5 (located in the Folsom area)
Summary: 10 year 19.68 mills property tax for acquiring, constructing, improving, maintaining and/or operating fire protection facilities in and for the District, including equipment, and paying for the cost of obtaining water for fire protection purposes, and the cost of providing services to injured or ill persons in emergency situations as permitted by law.
Yes – 643 – 93%
No – 48 – 7%
MAY 1, 2010 GENERAL ELECTION & PROPOSITIONS
Early Voting – April 17 - 24
Fire Protection District No. 7 Millage Renewal
(Precincts – partial: P01, 406, 502-505; Precincts—all: 501 & 602)
Authority to levy a 10 mills tax renewal for a period of 10 years for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, improving, maintaining and operating fire protection and emergency medical service facilities, vehicles, and equipment, including movable and immovable property, to be used by Fire Protection District No. 7 directly or indirectly to provide fire protection and emergency medical services in this district.
Fire Protection District No. 9
NOTE: Districts No. 9 & 10 have merged.
(Precincts—partial: 409, 503-504, 601-605, 607, & 801; Precinct—all: 606)
30 years 35 mills tax for acquiring, constructing, improving, maintaining and operating fire protection and emergency medical service facilities, vehicles, and equipment, including movable and immovable property, to be used by Fire Protection District No. 9, including paying for the cost of obtaining water for fire protection purposes and paying charges for fire hydrant rentals and service, said tax to be in lieu of certain existing taxes.