Even though the election is almost a year away, two St. Charles Parish Council members have already thrown their hats into the ring for the parish’s top executive post.
Parish President V.J. St. Pierre is term limited and will leave office at the end of December 2015. Now Parish Council Chairman Larry Cochran and Councilwoman At-Large Division A Carolyn Schexnaydre have declared their intentions to run for parish president.
Cochran and Schexnaydre have both been on the council since 2008. Cochran defeated Dick Palmer to win the District 5 seat and was re-elected without opposition four years later. Schexnaydre defeated April Black and was re-elected in 2011 after defeating challenger Jeanne Hall.
Cochran cites his council experience as a reason why he would make a successful parish president.
“We need someone with experience to see the levee through on the West Bank and we need experience to continue to fight the Biggert-Waters Act,” Cochran said. “The next parish president will have a lot on his plate, and the experience I’ve gained as council chairman will help me deal with the issues we face.”
The Biggert-Waters Act would have likely caused bankruptcies, foreclosures and business failures throughout the region due to the skyrocketing flood insurance rates associated with it. Several bills were introduced to either amend or delay the act, but Cochran said Biggert-Waters could threaten the area again.
Cochran also said the parish needs to broaden its economic development.
“The plants have been great for the parish, but we need more shopping opportunities,” he said.
As a councilman, Cochran said he has ushered in several improvements in the parish.
“We went to D.C. to fight the Biggert-Waters Act and I fought hard to get a guardrail on Airline Highway,” Cochran said. “The merging lane within my district has also made St. Rose Avenue safer.”
Cochran added that he has helped systematically improve all pumping stations in his district.
“I used to love rain until I became a councilman,” Cochran said. “Every night that it would rain I would be on the phone trying to get a handle on the flooding. We have come so far now and we don’t have the flooding we did when I came into office.”
Schexnaydre also says her experience as a council member will be important if she were to be elected as parish president.
“I know the issues we are facing. For the last seven years I worked on those issues,” she said. “I know which ones are the most important.”
Schexnaydre said she decided to run for parish president after being urged to do so by members of the community.
“I have a lot of people that have requested me to do this…a lot of residents begging me to do this,” she said. “They know what I stand for – they know I am for good, open and honest government.”
Schexnaydre also said finishing the West Bank levee is the most important issue the new parish president will face. She added that she would keep fighting against Biggert-Waters.
“We have to do things as a group [with other parishes] and get more done,” she said. “I think saving homes is most important. V.J. got [the levee] started, but we need to keep it going.”
As a councilwoman, Schexnaydre said she has saved parish residents a lot of money during the last seven years.
“I am always looking into where money is being spent,” she said. “I voice my opinion. If I thought we were spending too much money, I questioned it. I believe in watching tax dollars because that’s what the people want.”
Qualifying for the Oct. 24 primary begins on Sept. 8, 2015.
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