Five incumbents decline to run, CCST efforts appeared to work
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Ever since the controversy began last summer about sexually explicit books available to children in the 12 St. Tammany public library branches, pressure has built on the Parish Council to do something about the far-left Library Board that refuses to restrict access to almost anything.
To date since over 200 books were challenged, seeking a restricted section for minors, the board has voted on 17 of the books and voted to return all to the shelves. The books contain everything from pornography to sexually-explicit information to sexually-related topics on sexuality topics such as gays, lesbians and trans people.
As the controversy stretched on for over a year, both the St. Tammany Library Accountability Project (STLAP) members, a group that formed to take on the book problem and Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany (CCST) President Rick Franzo, vowed they would do everything they could to replace most of the Parish Council members when the elections were set this fall.
It is the Parish Council that appointed most of the board members, but claimed they had no authority to do anything about the books remaining available for children.
But after qualifying for the Oct. 14 elections was concluded last week, it appears that one way or another, the promise from CCST and STLAP will become a reality.
Out of the 14 council districts, five council members decided not to run again, with many political observers certain that the library situation played a part in some of those decisions.
Only one council member, District 3 representative Martha Cazaubon, had no opposition and will return to office.
Then out of the other 13 district races, Franzo said his organization played a part in seeing a majority of those candidates run, something he believes will lead to a major shift in the Parish Council by the time the elections are concluded.
Franzo stated publicly early in the year that he also was aghast at the books available to children at the public library. Then, as he watched Library Board members, led by Director Kelly LaRocca, slowly vote to review each book and return them to availability, Franzo said that his powerful parish watchdog group would do all they could to find candidates who would replace Parish Council members.
CCST went about it in an interesting way. Rather than go out and urge individuals to run, they ran two public educational forums for potential candidates to attend. At those gatherings the candidates learned in detail about the various issues that would face them, should they decide to run. Franzo said the result is a vast array of new faces seeking the positions.
“I would say that 75 percent of the people running met with us at the forums and most of them are on the same page as our organization on important matters like the library book situation, but also over development, flooding and other key issues,” he said.
“I’m very happy with the lineup of very good candidates and I think we’re going to see a very different Parish Council when these elections are over,” he said.
Franzo said the goal of CCST wasn’t to just address the library situation, although he is passionately interested in that situation being rectified with a restricted section, but his group also wants to see a Parish Council and parish president that can work together.
“There has been such a huge divide between the Parish Council and parish president, and it’s something we never saw in previous administrations,” he said, pointing out many challenges incumbent Mike Cooper has had with the council. One recent problem led to the council voting to investigate Cooper in a move never seen before.
“Whatever it takes we’ve got to see the council and parish president work together and that’s another reason we need change,” he added.
Five incumbent council members elected not to run, including Marty Dean from District 1, Mike Lorino from District 4, Jimmie Davis from District 7, Chris Canulette from District 8, and Jake Airey from District 13.
Incumbents facing challengers include:
–David Fitzgerald in District 2, with former Covington Councilman Larry Rolling taking on the incumbent along with female Democrat Erin Riecke Rowan.
–District 5 incumbent Rykert Toledano is being challenged by Pat Phillips and Doug Ferrer.
–District 6 incumbent Cheryl Tanner facing Dennis Galloway and Bruce Lowrey.
–District 9 incumbent Mike Smith challenged by St. Tammany Library Accountability Project founding member David Cougle, as well as Jason Livingston from Pearl River.
–District 10 incumbent Maureen O’Brien facing a stiff challenge from former Mandeville Mayor Donald Villere.
–District 11 incumbent Arthur Laughlin, who has only been on the board less than a year filling an expired seat and became the first vocal PC member against the books, facing Brice Lanier from Mandeville.
–District 12 longtime incumbent Jerry Binder challenged by Mark “Choppy” Daeumer.
–District 14 incumbent Ron Randolph challenged by Jimmy Strickland.
“There are a very few incumbents who have begun to stand up against the book situation, even though little to nothing has been done, so we are not against every incumbent,” said Franzo. “But for certain, we need people to win office who will take this situation on and stand up for our kids.”
Here is a rundown of candidates qualified for the Parish Council elections on Oct. 14. Early voting will be held from Sept. 30 to Oct. 7.
District 1
Patti Ellish, Republican.
Bryan “Hutch” Hutchinson, Republican.
Richard “Rick” Smith, Republican
District 2
David “Dave” Fitzgerald, Republican
Larry Rolling, Republican
Erin Riecke Rowan, Democrat
District 4
Keith Dennis, Republican
Gary Leonard, Republican
Kathy Seiden, Republican
Timothy Smith, Republican
District 5
Douglas “Doug” Ferrer, Republican
“Pat” Phillips, Republican
Warren Seher II, Independent
Rykert Toledano, Jr., Republican
District 6
Dennis Galloway, Jr., Republican
Bruce Lowrey, Republican
Cheryl Tanner, Republican
District 7
Noreen DeBlanc, Independent
Joseph “Joe” Impastato, Republican
Keith McFarland, Democrat
Dewey Spies, Republican
District 8
Patrick “Pat” Burke, III, Republican
“Chris” Smail, Republican
District 9
David Cougle, Republican
Jason Livingston, Republican
Mike Smith, Republican
District 10
Maureen “Mo” O’Brien, Republican
Donald Villere, Republican
District 11
Brice Lanier, Republican
Arthur Laughlin, Republican
District 12
Jerry Binder, Republican
Mark “Choppy” Daeumer, Republican
District 13
Jeffrey “Jeff” Corbin, Republican
“Chris” Houlihan, Republican
Kevin Petruska, Republican
District 14
Ronald “Ron” Randolph, Democrat
Jimmy “Gumby” Strickland, Democrat