Endorsements for U. S. Congress, Mayor, Police Chief, City Council

In this edition of the Central City News, we are proud to endorse the following candidates:
Congress – 6th District
Garret Graves (R)
Mayor of Central
Jr. Shelton (R)
Police Chief
James Salsbury (R)
Central Council at Large
(vote for two)
Wayne Messina (R)
Kim Powers (R)
District 1
Charles Habig (D) or
Aaron Moak (R)
District 2
John Vance (R)
District 3
Kim Fralick (R)
District 4
Shane Evans (R)
District 5
Charles Lee Hinton (R) or
Jeffrey Meyers (R) or
Briton Myer (R)

GARRET GRAVES
United States Congress
6th District of Louisiana
Exemplary Service
Garret Graves is completing his second two-year term representing the people of the Baton Rouge area in the United States Congress. During that time, our country has experienced historic changes in Washington. At the same time, the people of the Baton Rouge area experienced the devastating flood of August 2016. It was a unique local disaster that affected only us but in a monumental way.
Throughout all these unexpected events, our new Congressman performed at the highest level. With a solid conservative voting record, he faithfully represented the views of most people in the 6th Congressional District and developed a very positive relationship with the leaders of Congress, President Trump, and members of his administration. The flood of August 2016 gave Congressman Graves an historic opportunity to make a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of real people living here, and he did not disappoint. He worked tirelessly day and night to address the needs of people, some of whom had lost everything and all of whom had lost something. During this time, his performance as a Congressman was far above what is normally expected. It was exemplary! We are proud to endorse Congressman Garret Graves for reelection.

JR. SHELTON
Mayor of Central
Dedicated Service

It is difficult to imagine anyone doing a better job as Mayor than Jr. Shelton has done. He is completely honest. In four years, there has not been a hint of scandal of any kind. He has never used his office for personal gain or to enrich his friends and supporters.
He has been a strong conservative. He has made sure city government lives within its means. He has refused to raise taxes or impose a city property tax, which could be done under state law without a vote of the people. Yet, even without raising taxes, he has by frugal management increased the city’s surplus by more than $20 million, bringing the surplus to more than $40 million — an amount unheard of in a city this size.
Mayor Shelton’s work habits are exemplary. He arrives at city hall early and works late. His energy seems boundless, and he is always either at his desk or out with the people of Central working to solve their problems.
During and after the Flood of August 2016, the Mayor’s level of energy rose to an even higher level. It seemed he never slept and was everywhere. In fact, for the first 72 hours of the flood, he did not sleep and worked around the clock.
After that, for the next year, there was very little sleep. He took it upon himself to personally try to help every Central citizen who needed help. He sat with them in his office or went to their homes. He listened to their stories. They cried together, and he went to work for them.
The notebook he kept from that time details, person by person, the hours spent helping each one. In an era when people get little personal attention as they try to deal with a faceless bureaucracy on the phone or online, it was a blessing of enormous proportions to have a Mayor who really cared and went above and beyond the call of duty.
Ironically, like President Trump, Mayor Shelton has been subjected to a continuing barrage of unfair criticism. In the Mayor’s case, it has come week after week for four years from a local “newspaper” that has but one goal — to destroy Jr. Shelton. Unfortunately, the reality is, if you tell a lie enough, some people will begin to believe it.
Reading that fake news, you would think that Mayor Shelton was responsible for the Flood of August 2016! But of course, nothing could be further from the truth!
Some people simply don’t want to recognize that Central is a relatively low-lying area between two rivers without levees that for many thousands of years has flooded. When you get 41 inches of rain, it will flood! A day or two later, the rivers will flood. That’s reality!
Since the flood, Mayor Shelton has overseen the cleaning of 47 miles of canals and ditches, removing 4,600,000 pounds of vegetation and foreign matter. Who could have or would have done more?
Now he has announced what is truly a remarkable accomplishment. He has gathered commitments from the state and federal governments of more than $100 million in funds for drainage improvements — all right here in Central! No one anywhere has ever done that!
Central is very fortunate to have an honest man as Mayor, a man of integrity who works tirelessly in the best interests of the citizens of this community, and we are proud to endorse Mayor Jr. Shelton for reelection.

JAMES SALSBURY
Chief of Police
Brought Dept. to Higher Level

After four years as Central’s Chief of Police, James Salsbury has fulfilled all of the campaign promises he made to the citizens of Central and more. He has taken the Central Police Department to a higher level and done a great deal to keep Central a safe place to call home. Over the last four years, while making monumental changes in the police department, he has worked — as promised — for a salary of $99 a month.
Chief Salsbury has established partnerships with other law enforcement agencies that are ready to assist us on any given situation. This includes an agreement with the Sheriff’s office to handle all traffic within the City of Central and thereby free up Sheriff’s deputies and their units to work all other matters in the city.
During Chief Salsbury’s term, there have been no litigation or controversies involving the Central Police Department.
Under his watch, the Central Police Department has moved from a symbolic to a working police department. They handle security for all city-sponsored events including City Council and Planning and Zoning meetings, the Elf Run, Christmas Parade, school events, football games, and many others. He has modernized police equipment with warranties to eliminate high maintenance and repair costs.
He implemented a wrecker ordinance to use local wrecker services within the city limits. The chief recently moved the department to a city-owned facility so that we no longer have a monthly rental expense. The department now has its own dispatchers, which will improve the safety of field units. Central Police now has their own in-house training officer, which keeps the department current on all qualifications and certifications.
When Chief Salsbury took office, the Central Police Department had a chief and seven volunteer officers. Today, it has a Chief, Assistant Chief, eight paid part-time officers, 10 reserve officers, four part-time paid dispatchers, and a volunteer secretary.
On his watch, thanks to the Mayor, the Council, and the Chief, funding for the Central Police Department has increased from $225,000 in 2014 to $655,000 in 2018.
We think this increase is well-justified but we caution that creation of a full-time police force duplicating what, for example, Zachary has, would lead to significant financial problems for the City of Central. The last time we looked, the budget for the Zachary Police Department was over $3 million for a city half the size of Central.
We believe Chief Salsbury is doing a fine job, and we are pleased to endorse him for reelection.
We must add that we believe his opponent to be a fine law enforcement officer who is well qualified for the task. However, we support Chief Salsbury primarily because he is on the job now and performing at a high level, and there is no reason to change.

WAYNE MESSINA and
KIM POWERS
City Council at-Large
(Vote for Two)

Five candidates are running for two seats on the Central City Council at-Large. The election on Nov. 6 will be from the throughout the city. Each voter will get to vote for two candidates. Without it reflecting adversely on the other three candidates, we believe the following two candidates are best qualified.

Wayne Messina

Wayne Messina is an honest, hard-working Councilman who returns all of his phone calls and does everything he possibly can to help the citizens of Central.
Wayne takes a very active part in the community of Central serving on the BREC Finance Committee, the Food Bank, and the Central Community Alliance. He takes an active part in the Council on Aging representing the City of Central and attends all meetings pertaining to the Comite Diversion Canal. He speaks out at the State Capitol. As a result of the Mayor’s efforts, Councilman Messina, and others, $375 million has approved for Comite Diversion Canal, $70 million from the Army Corps of Engineers, $13 million from East Baton Rouge Parish, $14 million from the Amite River Basin Commission, and $13 million from DOTD — with all the money going toward drainage that will greatly help the City of Central.
Wayne represented the city very well, and we need his experience, expertise, integrity, and voice working on the Central City Council.

Kim Powers

Kim Powers is a newcomer to politics, having never run for public office. However, her father served as a conservative Republican Mayor of Slidell and Councilman at-Large for 24 years. He is her role model, and she learned as a child how important it is to have good men and women serving in city government.
Kim was an honor roll student in college and studied political science. She married and has three daughters. One is 21 but the other two are students at Central Intermediate School. They live across the street from the school, and she is actively involved at CIS.
Kim Powers is the advertising manager of the Central City News, which brings her in contract with business owners throughout Central and keeps her grounded on what policies work and don’t work for business owners here. As a business owner herself, Kim is executive producer of Central High football and baseball broadcasts, which keeps her in touch with students, faculty, coaches, and parents.
She is a conservative woman and was a strong supporter of President Trump. She is a member of the National Rifle Association and Louisiana Right to Life. She believes in the right to carry. She serves the community through the Istrouma Kiwanis Club.
Kim Powers was raised on a farm and knows how to drive a tractor, round up cattle, and birth a calf.
Her No. 1 goal is improving drainage in Central. No. 2 is preserving Central’s rural lifestyle. “I love the balance we enjoy between city life and country life, and I want to keep it that way.”
Beyond drainage, her top project is to jumpstart the four-laning of Hooper Road and to extend Hooper with a bridge across the Amite to Watson, as the key to solving traffic problems along Sullivan and Wax.
She hopes to lead beautification efforts in Central. “Central is so beautiful, but we have cover these open ditches along our roads which are a hazard to safety and an eyesore.”

CHARLIE HABIG or
AARON MOAK
City Council District 1

Charlie Habig

Charlie Habig has held important positions of leadership as Business Agent of Local 198 Plumbers and Pipefitters. In that role, he had to negotiate important and sometimes difficult labor-management disputes and on a day-to-day basis care for the needs of his members and their families. This is very similar to the work of a City Councilman. Since retiring, he joined the faculty at Central High School as the welding instructor, which will open doors of opportunity for many young people in the years ahead.
In his announcement statement, he said, “The love I have for this city can best be described as ‘family.’ Upon moving here, I lived with my wife and our three children for six years before my wife, Lynda, passed away after a year long battle with cancer. I am still so grateful for how this community wrapped their loving arms around my family and me during that difficult time in our lives.” He also said, “This election is about our beloved city, the deep rooted values we have, and the improvements still left to be made.”
Now Charlie Habig wants to give back to the community he loves. We feel he is well qualified to serve on the Central City Council.

Aaron Moak

Aaron Moak is well known to almost everyone in Central. His commitment to this community began when he was only a teenager when he had a strong desire to serve the Central Fire Department. It continued with his involvement in the Central Chamber of Commerce and many community organizations. He has played a most important role in the annual Central Christmas Parade. Then several years ago, he ran for and was elected to serve on the Central City Council, where he served for eight years.
During his service on the City Council, Aaron Moak always proved to be hard-working, intelligent, and diligent. He has been out of office for a term, but he would certainly be able to step back in and perform the role of City Councilman well. Aaron Moak is well qualified to serve on the City Council.
In District 1, we believe either candidate — Charlie Habig or Aaron Moak would do a fine job, and we recommend both to the voters.

JOHN VANCE
City Council District 2

John Vance
We found making the endorsement for City Council from District 2 to be the most difficult of the Nov. 6 election, simply because there are two very outstanding candidates running. The challenger, Josh Roy, is a young man of outstanding character, a leader in his church, a family man, and an attorney. If he does not win this time, we hope he will continue his interest in community service and find another role to play.
The incumbent, John Vance, has all of the same outstanding character traits but, in addition to that, he has four years’ experience on the job. He has performed at a high level on the Council. He takes the job very seriously, is well informed, works hard, and is a strong voice for doing the right thing. We favor keeping in public office those public servants who do a good job. It is wise to recognize and reward that good work with reelection.
John Vance has done a fine job on the Central City Council, and we are proud to endorse his reelection.

KIM FRALICK
City Council District 3
Mayor Pro-Tem

Dr. Kim Fralick
Dr. Kim Fralick, who serves as a member of the Central City Council and Mayor Pro Tem, has worked very hard to represent the citizens of Central for the past four years.
She is a mom, a well-educated professional, a Christian, and a dedicated public servant.
She is committed to solving Central’s drainage problems and has worked hard to locate the funding to make needed investment in the necessary infrastructure.
Her opponent has a publication that he pays to send to everyone’s home. Week after week, year after year, he attacks city officials often without any justification and seems to thrive on creating controversy, acrimony, and a general uproar in the city. That is fine, we suppose, but the fear is that he will bring the same approach to city government and make the City Council into a three-ring circus with his constant charges and accusations. We believe his election would bring about a new era of controversy and division. We are proud to endorse Dr. Kim Fralick for reelection.

SHANE EVANS
City Council District 4
Shane Evans
When Shane Evans originally ran for an at-large seat on the Central City Council, he did so to help build the Central Police Department into a full service public safety unit that could meet our needs as a new city. He is in his 27th year in law enforcement, and he believed that sometime soon, Central would need to be ready to take over crash investigation duties, and be ready to move the department into comprehensive coverage of all criminal matters. We have made great strides with the police department in manpower, equipment, and now in a newly-remodeled police station in a very visible location on Hooper Rd. This progress is in no small part due to the efforts of Councilman Evans.
What Shane Evans did not expect was hotly-debated zoning issues that the Council had to consider, and of course the Great Flood of 2016.
In dealing with zoning matters, he gathers the information and considers the law. He asks how will his vote affect the city? He asks, “Is my vote legally defensible? Is the offered development or business of benefit to the overall value of the city? What are the property owners rights versus the rights of persons who oppose the development? Will the proposed development/business generate tax revenue to help keep our top performing school system in the winners’ circle, and do so without increasing the individual tax rate on our homes? I learned that zoning decisions can be some of the hardest issues that any local city council can face and each vote must be carefully researched.”
On the flood, he said, “The Great Flood of 2016 showed me what great fabric our citizens are made of. From rescuing their neighbors to helping with the labor of rebuilding, this city is full of dedicated, Christian, compassionate people who only want the best for all. Behind the scenes, in our city government’s dealings with federal disaster agencies, there were plenty of heated battles waged to ensure that Central

Council. He lives on the east bank of the Comite River near Brown and Joor Roads and says that solving the drainage problem is one of his top priorities. He favors developing a Central City Center Governmental Complex at the intersection of Hooper and Sullivan Roads with a new City Hall. He said “We are a city of nearly 30,000. We have an outstanding school system. The City government has been collecting taxes from us to pay for this complex for 13 years. It is time for this project to commence. Failure to move forward means we continue to pay taxes for something that increases in costs if construction is postponed.”
We have noticed during this campaign the character and wisdom of Jeffrey Meyers. His experience gives him the ability to carefully analyze issues and make reasoned decisions. We believe he would be an outstanding member of the Council.

Briton Myers

Briton Myers is a native of Central who earned his law degree from Southern University magna cum laude and is now practicing law in Baton Rouge.
He would bring to the Council a knowledge of Central and of the law, which is too often lacking in local government. A good lawyer who serves on a public body can often steer the body’s actions against unconstitutional or unlawful actions that create more problems than they solve. Briton Myers favors measured growth in accordance with the Master Plan and, as a flood victim, he is committed to working to relieve drainage problems in Central. We believe he could offer a valuable service to the people of Central through service on the Council. The bottom line is that in Council District 5, we believe all three candidates are qualified and have unique abilities they could offer to the citizens of Central.

CHARLES LEE HINTON or
JEFFREY MEYERS or
BRITON MYERS
City Council District 5

Charles Lee Hinton

Charles Lee Hinton is well-known in Central for his dedication to honoring and serving veterans. He brings to the race for the City Council a love of Central and a commitment to make it better. He promises to work at the job full time and to have an open-door policy.
His service to our country during 20 years in the U. S. Navy and his 25 years as a teacher and coach have made him a role model and a mentor for young people. His years of service have made service a habit, and he would step right into the role of City Councilman easily. We recommend Charles Lee Hinton for consideration.

Jeffrey Meyers

Jeffrey Meyers earned a degree in Civil Engineering from LSU and worked five years in industry in Texas followed by 27 years with the Louisiana DEQ. His work experience includes emergency management, hazardous materials response and general civil engineering design/construction, all of which well prepare him to serve on the City Council. He lives on the east bank of the Comite River near Brown and Joor Roads and says that solving the drainage problem is one of his top priorities. He favors developing a Central City Center Governmental Complex at the intersection of Hooper and Sullivan Roads with a new City Hall. He said “We are a city of nearly 30,000. We have an outstanding school system. The City government has been collecting taxes from us to pay for this complex for 13 years. It is time for this project to commence. Failure to move forward means we continue to pay taxes for something that increases in costs if construction is postponed.”
We have noticed during this campaign the character and wisdom of Jeffrey Meyers. His experience gives him the ability to carefully analyze issues and make reasoned decisions. We believe he would be an outstanding member of the Council.

Briton Myers

Briton Myers is a native of Central who earned his law degree from Southern University magna cum laude and is now practicing law in Baton Rouge.
He would bring to the Council a knowledge of Central and of the law, which is too often lacking in local government. A good lawyer who serves on a public body can often steer the body’s actions against unconstitutional or unlawful actions that create more problems than they solve. Briton Myers favors measured growth in accordance with the Master Plan and, as a flood victim, he is committed to working to relieve drainage problems in Central. We believe he could offer a valuable service to the people of Central through service on the Council. The bottom line is that in Council District 5, we believe all three candidates are qualified and have unique abilities they could offer to the citizens of Central.

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