By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Two candidates with many years of public experience in office will square off this Saturday, Oct. 14, to see who gets to lead St. Tammany Parish for the next four years as its parish president.
Incumbent Mike Cooper is being challenged by Slidell Mayor Greg Cromer in Saturday’s election, and both can boast of much time in public office that gives the pair the right to talk about all the experience they bring to the job.
But the deciding factor in the Saturday vote will likely come down to which candidate is able to steal enough votes from the backyard of the other.
Cooper has a highly recognizable name in western St. Tammany after his father was a longtime mayor, followed by his son winning the Covington mayoral election two terms in a row. He is expected to get plenty of votes from the west side of the parish.
Cromer will have the same popularity in eastern St. Tammany after a strong showing the past four years as mayor of Slidell led to winning a second term unopposed this past April.
Previous to serving as mayor, Cromer had served as a city councilman in Slidell, followed by 11 years in the Louisiana House of Representatives.
Cromer is expected to score big in eastern St. Tammany, but the key to victory by both candidates will rely heavily on how much they are able to get votes on the side of the parish where they are not as well known.
Both candidates said they have spent many hours during the past year campaigning where they had to build up their name recognition and voter support.
Cooper said he especially ramped things up in the past month when he has been to many “forums, community gatherings and more, as well as using all platforms to ensure our citizens are aware of my plans for the next four years.”
Cromer has been going to meetings and special events on the west side of the parish for many months and said he has also walked many neighborhoods in western St. Tammany.
“I actually have lost 20 pounds from all the walking,” he said with a smile. “I have spoken to many people face-to-face so they understand my message and vision for the parish.”
Heading the issues both candidates will face when the new year rolls around is the matter of a budget crisis in parish government. Cooper acknowledged over a year ago that the parish was “running out of money” since it was so strapped by dedicated revenue sources.
That began a series of lawsuits when District Attorney Warren Montgomery sued the parish for more money, claiming the parish only offered less than half of the $6.1 million he requested to operate the courts and Justice Center for the year.
The parish followed with its own lawsuit, claiming the D.A. was seeking monies for items not deemed necessary. Then just last week, 22nd District Judge William Burris filed a suit against the parish also saying the government wasn’t fully funding the operation of the courts.
Only months ago, the parish filed yet another lawsuit asking a judge to help determine what the minimum dollar number was for the many parish agencies they legally must fund to operate. In the lawsuit, virtually every government public body was named, including judges, justice of the peace and others to go with the major departments such as coroner, D.A., clerk of court and more.
Cooper has campaigned with a major theme of reminding the public about tens of millions of dollars he has gotten approved for infrastructure work in St. Tammany, as well as his focus for the past four years to slow and control construction until a final master plan can be achieved to ensure growth is steady, but not out pacing infrastructure to support it.
Cromer has highlighted his success financially as mayor in Slidell where the city enjoyed multi-million-dollar surpluses every year he has been in office, all without raising taxes.