3 new school board members elected, current tax assessor stays after parish elections

Published 11:07 pm Tuesday, November 8, 2022

VIDALIA, La. — Concordia Parish voters elected Jeannie Archer as its next tax assessor and elected three new school board members during Tuesday’s elections.

According to preliminary results, 43.2% of registered Concordia Parish voters cast their ballots Tuesday. Archer had 3,470 votes while her opponent Stephen Dawkins had 2,064 votes.

School board elections

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Incumbent school board member Raymond Riley lost the District 2 seat to his opponent Fred Marsalis with 307 votes to Marsalis’s 382 votes.

Vanessa Houck won the District 3, Place A seat with 971 votes to incumbent Ricky Raven Sr.’s 462 votes.

With three vying for the District 5, Place B seat, R. Wayne Wilson Jr. had an overwhelming victory with 1,081 votes. Incumbent Warren S. Enterkin had 289 votes and Sandy Netherland Roberts had 118 votes.

Fred T. Butcher retains the District 1, Place A seat with 639 votes to challenger Jennie C. Kimble’s 466 votes.

In a close race, Angela Hayes keeps the District 4, Place B seat with 515 votes to challenger Ronnie Lewis’s 503 votes.

Town elections

Ann Siddall and Hu’Cheryl Walker will head to a runoff election for the City Judge seat for the Town of Vidalia. Siddall had 775 votes, Walker had 571 votes and Stuart Boykin had 265 votes.

Frank Duson wins the City Marshal seat for the Town of Vidalia with 1,106 votes. Dustin Lemoine had 495 votes.

In another close race, incumbent Ridgecrest Mayor Veller Ray Carroll is reelected with 74 votes while challenger Dorothy Evens had 69 votes.

Statewide elections

Concordia Parish voted similarly with the State of Louisiana as a whole in the U.S. Senate and U.S. Representative races.

Fifth Congressional District U.S. Representative Julia Letlow won 67 percent of votes in the parish with a total of 3,881 votes.

U.S. Senator John Kennedy won 66 percent of votes in the parish with a total of 3,912 votes.

Ballot initiatives 

CA No. 1 (ACT 130, 2021 – HB 154) which modifies the maximum amount of monies in certain state funds that may be invested in equities, 66 percent of the parish voted no.

CA No. 2 (ACT 172, 2022 – HB 599) which expands property tax exemptions for homestead exemption property for veterans with disabilities, 68 percent of the parish voted yes.

CA No. 3 (ACT 156, 2021 – HB 315) which allows classified civil service employees to support the election of family members to public office, 62 percent of the parish voted no.

CA No. 4 (ACT 155, 2021 – HB 59) which authorizes a political subdivision to waive charges for water under certain circumstances, 68 percent of the parish voted yes.

CA No. 5 (ACT 133, 2021 – SB 154) which provides relative to property tax millage rate adjustments and maximum authorized millage rates, 55 percent of the parish voted no.

CA No. 6 (ACT 129, 2021 – HB 143) which limits the increase in assessed value of certain property following reappraisal in Orleans Parish, 59 percent of Concordia Parish voted no.

CA No. 7 (ACT 246, 2022 – HB 298) which provides relative to the prohibition of involuntary servitude and administration of criminal justice, 62 percent of the parish voted no.

CA No. 8 (ACT 171, 2022 – HB 395) which removes the requirement of annual certification of income for certain eligible disabled homeowners, 51 percent of the parish voted yes.