Ricky Gonsoulin is vying for the District 8 seat on the Iberia Parish Council.

Gonsoulin, a longtime sugar cane farmer in Iberia and St. Mary parishes, said his primary motivation for seeking election centers on drainage issues, much-needed road im-provements and the TIF, or tax increment finance, district, which he said has many constituents in an uproar.

“For me, running for Parish Council is a relatively easy way to encourage change,” Gonsoulin said. “The only way to begin the process of change is to challenge the administration to think outside the box and listen to the voice of the people.”

Barry Verret, who currently holds the District 8 seat will not be seeking re-election, which makes Gonsoulin the only candidate so far.

District 8 includes an area of Iberia Parish encompassed by Sugar Mill Road and Jane Street.

Qualifying for the Oct. 22 election is scheduled for Sept. 6-8 at the Iberia Parish Courthouse.