ST. MARTINVILLE, La. — Early voting begins Saturday in St. Martinville’s mayoral race, with incumbent Mayor Jason Willis and challenger Lisa Nelson making their final pitches to voters about the city’s future.
Nelson, who served 13 years on the St. Martin Parish Council, says her record in local government sets her apart. “I actually served on the St. Martin Parish council for 13 years. I was not just the sitting council member, I was very active,” Nelson said.
She points to revitalizing the city’s tourism industry and investing in infrastructure — especially drainage improvements — as pillars of her candidacy. “Tourism was a big thing in this city at one time; tourism brings in economic stability,” Nelson said. She added, “If we take care of the drainage areas on a daily basis, or as needed — dig the ditches, clean out your culverts — if there’s any major drainage areas, apply for funding that could possibly help also.”
Nelson also cited her accomplishments in the Cade area, including upgrades to roads, drainage, and recreation. “Multiple things that I’ve done in the district, not only recreational like drainage and roads,” she said.
Mayor Willis, meanwhile, is touting progress already made during his administration, such as step-by-step solutions to water system problems. “We try to isolate one section of the city at a time, and if we do that, we can eliminate a lot of boil advisories because it would just be that section that’s under a boil advisory,” Willis explained.
Willis said targeted fixes and securing funding for projects in areas like Ledoux are part of a broader strategy to address the city’s infrastructure. “We're actually trying to get funding for it. We actually got funding for one of them. I know another area is Ledoux, we’re trying to get funding for it to get better drainage back there. But besides that, we don't really have a lot of drainage problems,” he said.
The incumbent also points to bringing in more than $18 million in funding over the last four years. “We brought over 18 million dollars’ worth of funding, so that’s a lot. We got to make sure our finances is in order, because in order to get state funding, most times you got to come up with a match,” Willis said.
With early voting now underway, both candidates say they are focused on delivering for the community’s residents and keeping St. Martinville moving forward.
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(Candidates Melinda Mitchell and Mark Pratt were contacted for comment but did not respond by deadline.)
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FULL INTERVIEW WITH CURRENT MAYOR JASON WILLIS:
Residents have dealt with boil advisories and long standing system concerns, what is your specific plan to reduce or eliminate boil advisories and how quickly can people realistically expect results?
Well, we are going to a consolidation with the parish, a water consolidation, so the parish- won't even be the parish, it'll be our own water board that would actually be over that. But like I said in the past, we have old infrastructure, we have old pipes under the ground. We're actually repairing the stuff on top of the ground, which is our water towers, which is our water wells, and stuff like that. But that's not going to eliminate the boil advisories as far as the pipes busting under the ground, that's a whole other project we have to get funding for.. Unfortunately, you know, you fix one leak, here comes another leak. And we try to isolate one section of the city at a time, and if we do that, we can eliminate a lot of boil advisors because it would just be that one section that would be on the boil advisory. So hopefully, that would take place very soon.
Shifting gears also on the topic of water though, how do you plan to address drainage concerns, especially in flood prone areas?
Well, I think we have pretty good drainage, you know, we have a lot of rain that comes down at one time, and, you know, our ditches and, even in the parish or even in other cities, can't withstand that kind of type of rain that we get at one time. We get what, six, seven inches of rain within an hour. But if you, if you come back an hour later, the water drains. We have a few areas in the city that have drainage issues and We're actually trying to get funding for it. We actually trying to get funding for it, we actually got funding for one of them, I know another area is Ledoux, we’re trying to get funding for it to get better drainage back there. But besides that we don't really have a lot of drainage problems. Within an hour, if you come back, if the rain stops, the water leaves. It just has to get through the pipes and get to the canal and get to the bayou, you know, and it, just takes a while.
As far as the council is concerned, what strategies or plans would you have to better work with the council?
Well, we definitely got to work together if we want to progress. I like to try to meet with my council on their concerns and try to help them to eliminate their concerns, meaning that they're supposed to be a voice for the people in their districts, bringing the concerns to me. If it's a work order, they put it in. If it's not getting done in an accurate time, I mean a short period of time that they expect, they get with me and I try to get that processed a lot faster. But it's basically, you know, hear them out, they hear me out, and we pretty much have a lot of discussions, you know, prior to a meeting, because a meeting is for a meeting. It's not to go back and forth. If we got a topic that we might disagree on, I think we should meet prior to that and have a discussion, and then if they still want to bring it up in front of the board, then that's fine, but, you know, we can have an hour and a half to discuss something. Whereas in a meeting, you don't have that amount of time, so I think people get frustrated cause they can't get the point across in that short period of time; and you don't decide on big major things that, especially if you got a different zone, in the meeting. You, try to do, that before you get to a meeting.
What do you feel qualifies you to maintain your position as mayor? What specific skills do you have that you feel are useful in benefiting the people in St. Martinville?
Well, I think, let my work speak for itself.. When I ran 4 years ago, I asked the people to trust in me, to give me a chance to show them to help bring the city back where we at, you know, on good grounds. And in just four years, I think we have done just that. So I think my work should speak for itself. But if you're asking me for my. experience: I have 12 years of government experience. I have over 30 years of my own business experience. I'm a United States Navy veteran,so I bring a lot of structure and order with everything I do. I'm a people's person, and I'm always in the community, so when you bring all that together, meaning that I drive a school bus, I was a barber, I'm with the people, I'm amongst the people, you know, so you put all that together, I think that qualifies me as to be a good mayor.
The final question is what strategy would be in place to bring more outside funding into the city?
Well, I mean, we were successful in these last four years. We brought over $18 million worth of funding. I mean, so that's a lot. I mean, I know mayors that's been in office for over 12 years, you know, 10 years, eight years, and that ain't never happened with them with their cities. So we have been blessed. We just wanna continue to do what we do. We want to continue to apply. We got to make sure our finances are in order because in order to get state funding, most of the time we got to come up with a match. So we got to make sure that we have match money to get this funding. It's one thing to get it, but it's another thing to match it, you know. But we're gonna keep doing what we've been doing and keep on believing and trusting in God and doing good budgeting and keep applying.
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FULL INTERVIEW WITH LISA NELSON:
Residents who have dealt with boil advisories and long standing system concerns, what is your specific plan to reduce or eliminate boil advisories and how quickly can people realistically expect results?
Well, the thing is that the city of Saint Martinville has consolidated with the parish, so the parish is actually going to take on the water system, and I'm hearing around November. But in the meantime, one; be proactive, you know, check the water system, put the chemicals in that we need, you know, and if there's breaks respond immediately and take care of the problem.
how do you plan to address drainage concerns, especially in flood prone areas?
Well, one, if we take care of the drainage areas on a daily basis or as needed, you know, dig the ditches, clean out your culverts, if there's any major drainage areas, apply for funding, that could possibly help also.
what strategies or plans would you have to better work with the council?
I definitely would not have a problem working with the council because I believe in, not putting stuff on the agenda without consulting, or if they have anything on that they wanna put on the agenda sit down with them and talk. it's not good to have a, a council that does not get along or see eye to eye, so I feel like speaking to the council members would be a good thing.
What do you feel qualifies you to be mayor and what skills do you feel that you have that could be useful to help benefit the people of St. Martinville?
I actually served in the Saint Martin Parish council for 13 years. I was not just a sitting council member. I was very active. I learned the process, learned the budget process, I have proven results. I served the Cade area so I know everyone rides through Cade. the Cade Center was always, already in progress when I got in office, but the baseball court, courts or fields. The basketball courts, the pavilions, the splash pad, the volleyball, the concession stand. Multiple things in the district that I've done, not only recreational, drainage roads. Our roads are excellent, was excellent in that area. Also, understand budget, I understand the accountability of taking care of a budget so
Knowing how to process the budget. Making sure that we're doing the right things with the dollars that the citizens, allow us to use for that area.
Finally, what is your strategy to bring more outside funding into the city?
Well, first, I think, economic growth, tourism was a big thing in this city at one time., tourism brings in economic stability you know. When tourism thrives, the city, uh, succeeds, um, get with, uh, regional state partners to, uh, get new investments or new business into the city. But like I said, also working with local businesses also to grow them. Make the processes even easier for small businesses who wanna move here. I can't say that we can truly get a huge business to move to St. Martinville, but we can try to bring a medium, business, smaller businesses that bring income to the city, it's possible, it is possible.
