The following questions were asked of each candidiate for Iberia Parish Council District 3. Here are the answers for David Ditch exactly how they were received:

 

1. What are the three biggest issues facing the Iberia Parish? Your district? What specifically should be done to address each?

I feel the three biggest issues facing Iberia Parish are sewage, roads and economic development, with economic development being the one that is most impacting District 7.

As I walk door to door people are screaming at me to increase choice and opportunities here.

As a parish council we must bring jobs to Iberia Parish. Our local government has a huge say in the attractiveness of Iberia Parish to business by the ordinances and taxes it passes. We must focus on the creation of jobs by fostering a pro development mindset amongst the council. An increase in jobs will increase investment into support services such as restaurants and shopping venues. As the next councilman for District 7 I will work tirelessly to abolish the protectionist policies of the past and create a government culture that makes Iberia Parish attractive.

2. What are your thoughts about the tax increment financing districts? Should voters decide taxes in such a district?

I went into this whole process knowing very little about TIF districts, especially the differences amongst the two types of TIF districts in Iberia Parish. I have spent the last month speaking to businesses that are being directly affected by TIF district one and I have seen firsthand what a dire impact these districts can have on existing business. We cannot build our economic development strategy on the backs of existing business. I have also looked at TIF district 2(which is a completely different type of TIF) and tend to think that this avenue is one in which no existing business or person will be taxed without directly visiting the business. This type of TIF, while not perfect could offer some expedited development in areas that need it. While I agree with the point that no one wants taxations without representation, in the case of the TIF districts I feel this is especially true for existing business that are the lifeblood of the community.

3. Are there areas of spending in parish government that could be reduced? What areas of spending in parish government should be increased?

While there is much inefficiency in government as a whole I think immediate cost savings could be made by utilizing resources and services already in existence at the municipal level. I think a combination of cost sharing amongst labor and equipment could go a long way in decreasing the cost of doing business for Parish government. We must elect leaders with the vision to think in terms of Iberia Parish as a whole versus interconnected political kingdoms. In doing so we can decrease inefficiencies and decrease cost. Parish government must increase its spending on economic development, by fully funding its economic development authority. If we all agree that economic development is a goal we must put the funding behind it to make it happen.

4. What are your thoughts about consolidating some parish and city services?

I think the consolidation of services amongst municipalities is essential to the overall health of the parish going forward. Only in government is it acceptable to have two people doing the same job for same group of people. This type of inefficiency would not last for one day in the private sector and it has been allowed to go on for decades in this parish. Government leaders should be held accountable for these inefficiencies and be forced to answer for these illogical decisions that have burdened our parish for such a long time. I also feel that the people shall be given the opportunity to vote on consolidating all parish and municipal services and governments. There must be cost savings that accompany consolidated services. It’s should not be the decision of local government to decide whether consolidation is good, it should be the decision of the people.

5. A recycling contract is in limbo right now. An argument against recycling is that there is little participation in the parish. An argument for it is it is a viable way to reduce the amount of waste headed to landfills. Do you support recycling? If you do, do you have any ideas how to increase participation?

As a resident of the city I see the increased use of recycling services since the new bins have been instituted. I feel that many people tend to utilize the service in relation to its ease of use. By modeling a system based on what is available in the city I think we could increase the number of users in the parish. I think everyone agrees that lowering the amount of waste going into landfills is a good thing. I will support efforts to make recycling more efficient and user friendly.