Eunice to elect mayor, Ward 4 alderman

Qualifying to fill the unexpired terms of the Eunice mayor and the Ward 4 Board of Alderman’s seat will be held Wednesday through Friday.
The seats were left open after former mayor Claud “Rusty” Moody Jr. died Nov. 3 less than year into his second term.
Scott Fontenot, Ward 4 alderman, was appointed by the Board of Alderman as interim mayor in a special session on Nov. 3.
Fontenot was serving his second term as an alderman.
Connie Thibodeaux was appointed by the Board of Aldermen to fill Fontenot’s seat.
The primary election for both positions is scheduled March 5, 2016, with an April 9 general election.
The winners will have about three years to serve until the next election.
Qualifying is from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court Office, Room 206 in the courthouse in Opelousas.
The qualifying fee for both offices is $150.
The mayor is paid $46,410 a year. If the mayor elects to not use a city-owned vehicle, a $500 stipend is paid. The mayor is eligible for the city’s group health insurance and retirement plans.
Aldermen are paid $7,119 and may take part in the city’s health insurance plan.
The mayor must have been registered to vote and domiciled for at least a year. The same qualification applies to an alderman, but the candidate must have been a resident of the district for least a year.