Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series on candidate forums for the upcoming City Council elections.

There are four candidates running in the Lake Charles District C race to fill the seat held by Councilman Rodney Geyen since 1998.

A candidate forum for Districts B and C was hosted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Lake Charles Alumnae Chapter on Monday. There, candidates answered prepared and community-fielded questions about pressing issues in their respective districts.

Tommy Bilbo

Bilbo is a lifelong resident of Lake Charles and a local business owner. He said in his introduction that is as an Army veteran who learned to lead by listening. As a council member, he would represent the district by being an “accountable, approachable and accessible” voice for the residents.

“For me, and my sole purpose, in running for this office is to listen to the people in District C, because I’m a representative of them,” he said. “It’s not what I want. It’s really what they want.”

When asked about the cost and quality of water, he said it would be important to educate citizens on the water system and recruit young people to work at the water treatment plants.

Bilbo said he would handle blighted properties case by case.

“You never know what’s going on within that family to see if those houses really need to be torn down or taken away,” he said. “I wouldn’t really want to take away a family home, but if that family home is causing danger to the rest of the people on that street or in that environment.”

Bringing business to the area is a priority for District C. He said that he has already spoken with Mayor Nic Hunter about instituting a tax incentive plan for potential businesses on Gerstner Memorial Boulevard that would allow them to “catch-up.”

Regarding the relationship between police officers and the community, he believes there needs to be a shift in perception.

“We have to change the image of what these young people see as police officers.”

Charles Gallien

For Gallien, his campaign is not about himself, but the community and the city of Lake Charles.

“We have multiple situations going on in our community, multiple issues, significant issues that have not been addressed in decades,” he said during his introduction. “If I’m elected, I will take these issues and address them and work on them tirelessly until I get something done and get some good results.”

He believes District C is a “deteriorating” community, a consequence of a lack of government accountability and departing businesses.

“Businesses are leaving our community. That’s essential to us in the community, but if you look at South Lake Charles, they’re blossoming, they’re blooming,” he said. “It shouldn’t be that way … I’m going to make some changes.”

When asked which was more important, he said bringing in more business should be prioritized over infrastructure.

He emphasized the importance of youth outreach during the forum.

“They are our future politicians. They are our future preachers … but nobody is reaching out to our youth, and that’s one of the reasons why we’re having a problem with crime,” he said. “We have to reach out to them, and it’s like nobody is reaching out to them.”

During a rebuttal to a question about gun issues and crime, he also said he believes the Lake Charles Police Department is not properly responding to crime in District C.

“In my community, it’s been a problem with crime. And the police, the city police, they’re not being held accountable for what’s going on,” he noted.

Amanda Johnson

Johnson has 26 years of experience as a city employee, and she plans to leverage that “well-rounded” experience if she is elected to become the “new voice for District C.”

Fifteen of her years as a city employee were with the Lake Charles Housing Authority, and six and a half with the Recreation and Parks department. Currently, she works in the Transit Office. She believes her years as a public servant sets her apart from her fellow candidates.

“My public service is second to none. I’m ready to lead, and may the work I’ve done speak for me.”

Her main goal is to improve the quality of life for District C’s residents.

To tackle youth and senior outreach, she will use her leadership ability and connections with non-profits to organize team, youth and senior activities in existing community centers, leveraging resources that are already available.

“I would like to see us use those resources again. In Columbus Circle right now, the Boys and Girls Club occupied that building, and that’s great. I’m all for the Boys and Girls Club,” she explained. “But where do the people in Columbus Circle, where do they have to go now? We need to give the buildings back to the community.”

One of Johnson’s sectors of expertise is public transportation. The access to public transportation is limited because of staffing issues, she said, with the city buses only running 5:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

“On the weekends, people don’t have a way to get around the city.”

The city needs to recruit more drivers to expand services, she said.

“We would need a budget for that, but right now, we are just trying to make it.”

Priscilla Sam

Sam — a local business owner who has always been self-employed — has lived in District C for 45 years. Over the decades, she has established herself as the “come-to-person.”

“I have serviced the community as a motivator, arbitrator, negotiator, psychiatrist and a counselor,” she said. “When I am elected, I will continue doing the job that I have been doing for the last 32 years without being in a seat or position.”

She believes the biggest challenges of the district is a loss of business, lack of city budget prioritization, drainage and municipal communication.

“I believe the reason our business is leaving is because everybody wants to be cared for, and District C has not received  one percent of the budget in the last 28 years,” she said. “And I’m ready to get a fair share.”

In regards to gun control and prevention, progress has to start with communication between law enforcement agencies and the community, she said. She plans to meet with law enforcement leaders — like the chief of police and the sheriff — to develop a strategic plan that will “build a core relationship with the people of the community.”

“So we can understand and know what is truly going on and how we can get these things situated so we can eliminate these things.”

She will also advocate for mental health-related policing alternatives by working to create programs to educate residents.

“I think most of the problems we have with them (those who have mental health conditions) is most of them it’s coming from drug issues or trauma,” she explained. “If we deal with it head on and address it … I think we can get it done.”