All Five Incumbents of Picayune’s City Council Sworn In
Judge Buddy McDonald swearing in Mayor Ed Pinero, Sheriff David Allison holding Bible
In an unprecedented event, all five incumbents of Picayune’s City Council were sworn in before Wednesday’s meeting.
The council members are:
Tammy Valente
Lynn Bogan Bumpers
Wayne Gouget
Larry Breland
Janice Miller Stevens
The first four of the five members listed also ran unopposed, another historical first for the city of Picayune.
The lack of change in the council is a great advantage to the city and will allow the council to continue moving forward in bettering the city, explained Mayor Ed Pinero.
“It’s going to allow us to take off running,” Pinero said. “We don’t have to get acclimated with each other, we don’t have to learn the surroundings and everyone knows the process.”
City council member, Wayne Gouget echoed the mayor’s sentiments but included that all the members will also be familiar with the priorities and goals already set forth.
“There is really a learning curve and it can take a new council person almost a year to figure out the budget and the direction the city is going and our priorities,” Councilmen Wayne Gouget said. “Everyone pretty much knows what our priorities are. And our priorities are and have been for the last eight years, the city’s infrastructure and we’ve made great strides in that regard but we have a long way to go.”
Another unified goal of the council is to continue to invest in growing the community with parks, amphitheaters, and other projects like Crosby Commons.
“We are going to continue investing in the citizens and we are all opposed to raising taxes,” Pinero said. “As you travel around you notice all the growing communities like ourself, they invest in their people. We want to create an environment where taxes stay low and people can live and enjoy the beautiful community that we have.”
