Berard seeks return to IPC District 7 seat

The Daily Iberian asked candidates for Iberia Parish Council five questions. Below are the answers as written by John Berard, candidate for District 7:

Q: What is the biggest issue in the district for which you are running, and what would you do to address it?

A: Four issues stand out the most: The first is voters clearly do not want any new taxes until the economy gets better. The second is that there is deep concern over the rash of car break-ins, burglary of residents, violence, and even a recent shooting near an apartment complex in our district. Third, a hurricane protection levee on the south side of our parish is needed. And finally, the forth issue requires finding a recurring revenue to operate the Iberia Parish Jail. By law, the Parish Council is mandated to operate the jail. Since it was built in the early 1990’s, each year the council has had to take funds from other budget-lines like the road royalty funds to operate it. The jail initially built to house approximately 250 inmates has now ballooned up to more than double its expected capacity. The Sheriffs since 1990, Romo Romero, Sid Hebert, and our current Sheriff Louis Ackal have had to bring in state prisoners from other facilities to provide enough revenue to operate the facility efficiently. No Sheriff needs that burden on him or her. We have pot holes, bad roads, six bridges currently out of commission in the parish because we continue to bleed money from the roads and in the most recent budget, we have even taken money from the Iberia Parish Health Unit’s allocation to prop up the operation of the jail.

What I plan to do about the first issue, is work within the present tax-base by eliminating wasteful spending and finding new ways to accomplish our goals within the present budget. As to the second issue, I would have the Iberia Parish Council work with the Sheriff to put more deputies in the district. Increasing the amount of patrols, day and night, would help defuse the fears that many of my constituents have voiced. Working with our neighbors to enhance the existing neighborhood watch programs already in place like the Northside Neighborhood Watch and the Highland/Dodson groups would contribute to more security in our area.

On the levee issue, I would ask our US Senators, Vitter and Cassidy, to bring some of our federal tax dollars back to Iberia Parish in the form of a state-of-the-art protection levee with flood gates, pumps, etc to provide the much needed protection for this community.

And as far as the jail goes, I would propose commissioning a Blue-Ribbon Panel composed of elected officials, businessmen, interested citizens, and experts in the field of economics to convene to come up with a solution to solve this ongoing financial dilemma.

Q: Cities like Broussard and Youngsville have become economic hubs and Lafayette Parish is exemplary in growth while population in Iberia has been stagnant. What specific things can parish government do to attract people and business to Iberia?

A: Providing tax incentives to new businesses, letting them know that we have a safe and secure environment are two issues that we need to address. Improving our infrastructure in the industrial areas will also entice future business. The TIF tax districts could also be examined.

Q: What are the best ways to attract businesses to set up and stay in Iberia Parish?

A: Providing a safe environment for workers and their families, allowing for tax incentives and providing an up-to-date infrastructure would be a plus.

Q: Debris and recycling pickup in the parish has been a sore spot for many residents. What can the Parish Council do to address the issue?

A: Revisiting the current contracts with garbage and recycling contractors would be a start. Getting the public involved and educating them on the issue of recycling would be a positive step. Residents complain that debris sits in their yards for weeks before it is picked up, which is unacceptable and would have to be dealt with.

Q: If consolidating service with other local governments in Iberia Parish could be beneficial, what sorts of services should be consolidated and how would you go about achieving it?

A: Getting the Parish Government and the mayors and councilmen of the other municipalities, Loreauville, Delcambre, Jeanerette and New Iberia on the same page is where we would have to be to seriously consider any major consolidation. Several voters have asked why do we have to have four mayors, and approximately thirty-four councilmen, in Iberia Parish. Hundreds of thousands of dollars could be saved by doing what Lafayette Parish did, going to a city-parish government. The problem here is that none of these elected officials would want to give up their seats. A tremendous amount of educating the public would have to be undertaken to ever make this become a reality. Presently, we are successfully integrating some city and parish services like Parks and Recreation, but there is a great opportunity here to do the same in other areas. This definitely needs to be explored.