Eunice mayor, alderman’s races are on ballot

Eunice voters may finally have the last word on who is the mayor to succeed Claud “Rusty” Moody.
Moody’s resignation in October triggered the appointment of Scott Fontenot as interim mayor and a challenge to the former Ward 4 alderman’s candidacy for mayor.
The Louisiana Supreme Court in January denied a challenge to Fontenot’s candidacy by the state Board of Ethics. The ethics board case stemmed from Roland Miller, also a candidate for mayor.
Fontenot won his case in the 27th Judicial Court District and in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal.
But there are two other candidates for mayor. They are William “Mr. Bill” Thompson and Tim Longman.
With four candidates in the mayor’s race, there is a possibility of a runoff election, which is scheduled April 9.
When Fontenot was selected by the Board of Aldermen as interim mayor, he resigned his seat as Ward 4 alderman. The election for that position is Saturday. Candidates are for Ward 4 alderman are James “Donnie” Fontenot, No Party, 421 S. Fifth St.; “Dale” Soileau, Democrat, 441 S. Sixth St.; and Shantell Arredondo Ward, Republican, 1451 Scott St.
The next election for mayor and alderman’s races will be in the fall of 2018. The current mayor and board member terms end Dec. 31, 2018.
The annual salary for the mayor is $46,410. The mayor also may receive $500 a month if using their personal vehicle. The audit for the year ended June 30, 2015, showed Moody was paid $1,800 for “telephone.” Moody also received $9,166 in retirement benefits and $228 for conference travel.
Aldermen are paid $7,120 annually. The alderman at-large pay is $13,700 a year.
There were 115 votes cast in Eunice by the end of early voting for Saturday’s primary election, which includes a special election for mayor and Ward 4 alderman in Eunice.
There were 110 votes cast in the St. Landry Parish portion of Eunice and five on the Acadia Parish side.
Saturday’s election includes the presidential primaries for Republican and Democratic parties.
The polls open at 7 a.m. for Saturday elections and close at 8 p.m.
Other items on the St. Landry Parish ballot, but not parishwide, include Democratic and Republican party positions.
Other items on the Acadia Parish ballot, but not parishwide, include three school district tax propositions, a special election for mayor in Morse, special election for chief of police in Crowley and member Republican Central Committee 26th Senatorial District, Division A.
Democratic Party presidential candidates are Steve Burke, Hillary Clinton, Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente, Henry Hewes, Keith Judd, Martin J. O’Malley, “Bernie” Sanders, Michael A. Steinberg, Willie L. Wilson and John Wolfe.
Republican Party presidential candidates are “Jeb” Bush, “Ben” Carson, “Chris” Christie, Timothy “Tim” Cook, “Ted” Cruz, “Carly” Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, “Mike” Huckabee, John R. Kasich, Peter Messina, “Rand” Paul, Marco Rubio, “Rick” Santorum and Donald J. Trump.
If you are registered as: No Party, None, Independent or etc., party you will not be eligible to vote in the Presidential Preference Party Primary or the Democractic and Republican Party Executive Committee Election on Saturday.
Party positions are also on the ballot, but voters must be party members to vote in those contests.
In Eunice, registered voters of any party may vote in the municipal election.
Voters may verify their current information by visiting the website geauxvote.com, or call a registrar of voters office. In St. Landry Parish, the registrar’s office number is 337-948-0572. In Acadia Parish, the registrar’s number is 337-788-8841.