Accountability, access key in Dist. 4

Each stating that drainage is an expected concern in every part of Terrebonne Parish, two candidates looking to claim the District 4 seat, being vacated by two-term Councilwoman Teri Cavalier, said there are even more detailed elements that require attention in the area they both hope to represent.

“The top issue has to be drainage,” Beryl Adams Amedee said, “but it’s not the only issue.”

Listed as a Republican, Amedee said that common sense maintenance and regular servicing of the current system could help alleviate many flooding concerns. The concierge service owner called for greater awareness in making sure needed work is accomplished. “I’d like to see a maintenance list made public for accountability purposes and known problems resolved,” she said.

Amedee, who offered a reminder that in the past she lobbied against truck stop casinos locating in Terrebonne Parish, said she would like to see the attraction of “desirable businesses and industry.” By that, she explained, she wants the area to be attractive to jobs that pay significantly more than “slightly above minimum wage.”

A forensic consultant by profession, candidate Lucretia McBride, with no party affiliation, said it is critical to unite District 4 with a sense of purpose as it related to the rest of Terrebonne Parish. “District 4 has all the roads that we use to evacuate out of the parish for natural disasters and we are where help comes in,” she said. “I want to have community emergency response training. I want to have neighborhood watch groups in each neighborhood. I would like to unite my district and empower them to know how to do things in an emergency.”

Both candidates said they would like to see greater accessibility offered in their district, including sidewalks and walking trails. They also expressed support of using electronic communications more effectively.

Amedee said working life experience qualifies her for the position. “I’m a lifelong Terrebonne Parish resident with a solid work ethic that begins with serving others,” she said. “I learned policy making through 20 years of local, state and federal lobbying, and as a zoning and planning commissioner I am aware of current issues.”

“I listen and I solve problems,” McBride said regarding her strengths. “With my schedule I can take public transportation into the [parish council] office every afternoon.”