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Baton Rouge mayor candidates address key issues in effort to win over undecided voters at Press Club
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BATON ROUGE - Four candidates for East Baton Rouge Parish mayor-president went to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday to win over undecided voters.
Mayoral candidates Ted James, Nathaniel Hearn, Steve Myers and incumbent Sharon Weston Broome answered some remaining questions as the campaign winds down.
"We don't need a 10-year plan until we take care of the first three problems we have, and that's crime, crime and crime," Myers said.
The candidates last answered questions about the topic of crime, as well as others broached at the Press Club forum, at a WBRZ-hosted mayoral forum at Baton Rouge High School on Thursday.
A big talking point for the election on Nov. 5 will be the city's budget and giving money to the new city of St. George.
On Thursday, officials in St. George announced a tentative proposal that would see East Baton Rouge Parish pay $17 million in taxes to the new city over the next year.
"I agree with both the mayor and Mr. Myers that ever since 2019, the city-parish has provided service, the only people who benefit from the continuous back and forth are the lawyers who get paid hourly," James said.
A topic brought up more than once was the city-parish's transparency with the public.
"If something happens with the police department, citizens have the right to be able to request the information and see it, that's a basic freedom I think we are all afforded," Hearn said.
Candidates were also pressed about low-income housing in the city.
"We are in the process of assisting other individuals with projects that we believe are significant that comes to affordable housing, specifically under domestic violence is what I was thinking of,” Broome said.
Mayoral candidate Sid Edwards planned to join the forum but canceled last minute.
Hearn used Edwards' absence as an opportunity to point out that Edwards, Istrouma High School's football coach, has not voted since 2016, voting records show.
"I'd also like to address the fact that I find it rather unfortunate that the endorsed republican candidate has not voted in 8 years," Hearn said.
Ryan "Badd Biddness" Carter and William "Champagne" Roundtree are also running for the mayor-president job.
The deadline to register to vote online is Tuesday. Early voting lasts from Oct. 18 to Oct. 29.
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