Former two-term New Iberia City Councilman David Merrill is hoping to get back in city government during this November’s election, this time as mayor pro tem. 

Merrill, a longtime New Iberia resident, counts the formation of the District 4 community watch program and local school improvements on his list of accomplishments at city councilman, and hopes to do more as mayor pro tem. 

Merrill has served on several boards and committees over the years, including SMILE Community Action Agency and the Iberia Parish ad-hoc committee to change the parish charter several years ago. 

The candidate said he is hoping to make better changes for the youth of the city, and get to work right away as mayor pro tem. 

Merrill is facing candidates Paul Schexnayder and Ricky Gonsoulin in the Nov. 3 election. 

What’s your background with New Iberia?

My name is David Merrill, I’m originally from New Orleans but moved here as a youngster. My mother is from Avery Island and so are my grandparents. I went to J.B. Livingston for one year when I was 10 years old and then went to St. Edward’s where my mother and her brothers and sisters all graduated from. Later on when integration hit we had to split up, so I went to junior high to help my mother out. She worked at labor and delivery at Iberia General, so we started going to public school at Anderson Street, and I ended up graduating from NISH. 

 

How did you get started in public service?

I got a call from (former New Iberia Mayor Hilda Curry’s) secretary who asked me if I was interested in being on the civil service board. I said I would love to, so I put in all my information and then in October I got a call and they wanted me to come to a city council meeting. I was appointed by the mayor so I just had to get the approval from the council. They agreed and I became a civil service board member for the fire department.

I told Hilda I would like to run for city council, so I kept thinking about it and she said I would have to resign my position. Around December, it was on my mind so I said I would do it. My aunt told me I was crazy, she said “You just got on the civil service board and you want to go on the council, what if you lose?” Well if I lose I lose, but that’s what was on my heart. 

Long story short, Barack (Obama) won that same night at 10 o’clock, and I won around the same time. I had a party at one of my friend’s houses he had given me. I had to pinch myself a million times because realistically I was the first black city councilman over District 4. At the time after that situation, I was getting ready to term out so I asked if I wanted to keep doing this or go into something higher like a state representative. I started praying on it and thinking about it and knew I was terming out in 2016 so I decided to run for mayor pro tem. I ran against (Dan Doerle) and right after 10 o’clock I lost. I didn’t feel bad about it because I had a lot of votes come from the people and to have that many votes I knew they must have trusted me. 

 

What other projects have you been involved in?

A little later on I was asked to be on the ad-hoc committee to make changes to the Iberia Parish charter. Eugene Olivier asked me to be on that. I went to a meeting and they appointed me to the board.

I stayed on for about a year and we made changes to the charter. During that time, the new governor came in and I had already put in work with Sen. Fred Mills to get on the Acadiana Human Services District board because I had  years of service dealing with medical and behavioral services. I was blessed and I got it, so I’ve been representing Iberia Parish for the medical and behavior services for the kids of Iberia Parish for the last four years. 

 

Why are you running for mayor pro tem?

Pretty much what I’ve been doing is gratifying because I really think that personal service goes by what you do and what you can commit yourself to in the community. For me, I didn’t come up with a silver spoon in my mouth or anything, I came up with a mother that never showed me about being racist or anything like that, but told me that you can do or be anything you want to do or be. She taught me about God and services in that area, who is all I trust in right now. And I truly believe that I’m the best person for the job of mayor pro tem because I’ve committed myself to the community and I don’t go out and brag about what I do. When you brag about what you do, you’re doing it for other reasons. A lot of people in this community know what I have done, and I don’t get paid for it.

I want to leave a legacy, and that legacy includes my kids and grandkids, and also the kids that I can touch in Iberia Parish because they are the future. I just want to be part of helping them realize they are the future, and I just want to help make this town a lot better than what it is, diversify us a lot more and see if we can bring in more entertainment and things that would help our kids. (We need) more recreation that would help them have a better life than just hanging on the streets, with all of these killings and murders going on it’s pretty sad. 

Anything else to add?

Please elect me for mayor pro tem. I would love the job, I know I can do the job and I’m qualified to walk right in there and take over and get involved right away to help with the mayor and also the council people to see if we can make some good changes in New Iberia.