St. Tammany Voter Guide: Here are the council candidates in the runoffs

Here are the candidates in the runoff for St. Tammany council seats, listed in the order they appear on the ballot.

David "Dave" Fitzgerald

• Age: 70
• Office Sought: St. Tammany Parish Councilman, District 2
• Party: REP
• Occupation: Educator, STPSB, Captain, American Airlines, RET
• City: Covington
• Public Email: dtigerfitz@yahoo.com
• Website and social media addresses: STPGOV Council
• High School: Covington High School
• College: LSU
• Post-graduate: MA Management, Webster University, Post Graduate Teaching Certificate SLU/Physics
• List All Professional Experience:
  • 11 years USAF, Pilot, Instructor Pilot
  • 22 years American Airlines, Captain
  • Presently, Level 3 LA Certified Teacher certified in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Business, and Tech Ed. Teaching full time at Fontainebleau High School---Drafting/AutoCad
• List Any Community Service Highlights: Board Member of Fitzgerald Methodist Church/ Coached in local Rec league for over 10 years.
• Have you ever run for or held public office before? If so, what offices and where: Presently incumbent Councilman, District 2, St. Tammany Parish
• How Long Have You Lived In Your Current Parish And In Louisiana: Lifelong resident, live on patent number land--ancestors arrived in the early 1800's
• What made you decide to run for this office in particular: A desire to give back to the community I love---to preserve the natural beauty, small town integrity, and general quality of life St. Tammany offers.
• Other than people, what would you say is the greatest asset your community has: Natural resources----varied environments that can be, and should be preserved.
• What is the greatest challenge your community faces in the near term and in the long term: Continuing attention to measured growth, infrastructure placement and improvement, drainage awareness and improvement---budget concerns, possible reallocation of funds.
• What would be the first issue you would tackle if elected:
• Continue to update ordinances to improve outcomes in development.
• Codify policy to improve communication within Parish Government.

Larry Rolling

• Age: 61
• Office Sought: St Tammany Parish Council District 2
• Party: Republican
• Occupation: Sales and Marketing Director
• City: Covington
• Public Email: larryrollingcouncil@gmail.com
• Website and social media addresses: LarryRollingCouncil.com
• High School: East Jefferson High
• College: Delgado Community College
• Post-graduate: n/a
• List All Professional Experience: Former Business owner LA Logo and Promos 18 years
• List Any Community Service Highlights:
  • Kelly Kicking Cancer board member
  • Alliance For Good Government St. Tammany Legislator of the Year 2019
  • St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce Ambassador of the year 2002
  • Carnival in Covington Mardi Gras Day Parade Captain
  • Leadership St. Tammany Graduate
  • Former St Tammany Chamber of Commerce board member two 3 year terms
  • Leadership Alumni board member
  • COAST Council on Aging St. Tammany board member
  • James Samaritan board member
• Have you ever run for or held public office before? If so, what offices and where: Yes; Elected in 2011-19
  • Two terms City of Covington Councilman for District D
  • Elected 2019 -current 2nd term City of Covington Councilman at Large
• How Long Have You Lived In Your Current Parish And In Louisiana: 30 years
• What made you decide to run for this office in particular: Since 2011, I have represented the City of Covington as the District D councilman for 2 terms and currently serving my second term as the Council at Large president. My Leadership, experience have prepared me to expand my efforts to serve the residents of District 2 on the St. Tammany Parish Council. I look forward for the opportunity to work together with other council members and the parish administration to move St. Tammany FORWARD!!
• Other than people, what would you say is the greatest asset your community has: Our quality of life, vibrant business community and a safe environment.
• What is the greatest challenge your community faces in the near term and in the long term: As St. Tammany is the 4th largest parish in the state with 270k residents and growing. Our budget in the near term and infrastructure are the pressing needs.
• What would be the first issue you would tackle if elected: Budget issues as we need to make sure we are working toward the future. We cannot continue to kick the can down the road. There will be hard decisions for the next sitting council to accomplish this. I would set up meetings with department heads and other administrators to review each line item.

COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICT 4

Keith Dennis

• Age: 65
• Office Sought: St. Tammany Parish Council - District 4
• Party: Republican
• Occupation: Town of Madisonville Town Council, retired
• City: Mandeville
• Public Email: keith.dennis.district4@gmail.com
• Website and social media addresses: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550054010905&mibextid=LQQJ4d
• High School: Mandeville High School
• College: Southeastern Louisiana University
• List All Professional Experience:
  • I have experience in budgeting and management for the town of Madisonville. I work with fellow council members and the mayor to manage the town’s business including ensure safety, deliver projects and manage the town's gas business. I introduced 2 new ordinances and secured police pay increase, which was the first in many years. The town continues to have a budget surplus each year. I’ve built relationships with many entities such as DOTD, Coast Guard, FEMA, business leaders, state representatives, parish representatives and representatives from municipalities across Louisiana.
  • I held 2 unpaid executive board positions with St. Tammany Parish Fire District #2 and Maritime Museum Louisiana executive board. Both positions set budgets, approved expenditures and capital purchases.
  • I have 30+ years business management experience which includes budgeting, contractor management, inventory control, payroll management, customer service and above all else being held accountable for delivering results.
  • Real Estate Agent / Real Estate Investing - I have practical experience as a licensed real estate agent in Louisiana and Washington State. I have owned property in Florida, Washington, Texas, Georgia and Louisiana.
  • Homeowner Builder / Contractor - I worked as the general contractor managing the build of my home. Experience includes the full permitting process, subcontractor bids and contracts, meeting all FEMA guidelines, managing bank financing and insurance requirements, maintaining building schedule, managing change orders, controlling supply chain, and successfully meeting all inspection requirements.
  • FEMA subcontractor assessing homes from natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires.
• List Any Community Service Highlights:
  • My wife and I are very active in our community. Together we support CAC-Hope House, Ultimate Tailgate Party, Krewe of Tchefuncte, Friends of the Historic Madisonville Cemetery, Maritime Museum of Louisiana, US Power Squadron, Patriot Guard Riders, Rolling Thunder, Run for the Wall, LCPL Justin D. McLeese Marine Corps Detachment 1487, Keep Madisonville Beautiful, Louisiana Municipalities Association, Pierre de Mandeville Chapter, NSDAR.
  • Additionally, I was appointed as an unpaid board member for St. Tammany Fire District 2 and Maritime Museum Louisiana.
• Have you ever run for or held public office before? If so, what offices and where: I am currently a Town Council Member for the Town of Madisonville. This is my first elected public office. I was appointed to 2 executive board positions, St. Tammany Fire District 2 and Maritime Museum Louisiana.
• How Long Have You Lived In Your Current Parish And In Louisiana: I have lived in Louisiana for over 40 years cumulatively. During our careers, my wife and I had the opportunity to live in Washington, Georgia and Texas. No matter where we lived St. Tammany was always home for us. We both graduated from Mandeville High School and attended Southeastern Louisiana University. Our 2 sons, 2 grandchildren and many extended family members call St. Tammany Parish home as well.
• What made you decide to run for this office in particular:
  • I am committed to public service through elected office and volunteer opportunities. I know that what I do has a purpose that is bigger than one person. It is about improving people's lives and making St. Tammany Parish a better place to live.
  • St. Tammany Parish is in desperate need of experienced leadership that can build positive, productive relationships and start working on solutions from the day of the election. We can’t afford to have on the job training with the issues facing the parish. I bring the experience and determination to the job.
  • Infrastructure improvements have not kept pace with growth. Some of the main issues include traffic flow, road improvements, drainage, flooding, coastal protection, reliable drinking water, to name a few. There are solutions that have not been fully explored due to the infighting amongst leadership. I am committed to building relationships to work the issues. I would look for ways to speed up delivery of existing projects. For the issues without a clear path forward, it will take a fresh set of eyes and thoughts to come up with workable solutions. I have the experience to bring new ideas on how to solve the issues.
• Other than people, what would you say is the greatest asset your community has: The greatest assest other than people is the quality of life St. Tammany offers. In my 40+ years of living in St. Tammany Parish, the quality of life has always been outstanding. We have much to be proud of. We have a great education system that consistently rates among the highest in the state. We have amazing natural resources including our trees, rivers, lakes, bayous and state parks. We have a robust healthcare industry operating in our parish. We have a wide variety of amazing restaurants and event centers. All of things enhance the quality of life in St. Tammany Parish.
• What is the greatest challenge your community faces in the near term and in the long term:
  • The biggest challenge facing the parish is the $20M deficit. This is a complex issue that will not be fixed overnight. Council members must work together with parish administrators. Designated funding sources and expenditures must be reviewed to ensure efficient use of funds. We must look for opportunities to eliminate waste and work more efficiently to decrease costs and reduce time to deliver.
  • There must be a comprehensive plan to renew millages. Residents must be informed well in advance of renewals to ensure the impacts of the millage are fully understood. Our community wants to continue to have the quality of life that we all enjoy but they also want to know that the council are good stewards of their tax money.
  • Infrastructure improvements have not kept pace with growth. Some of the main issues include traffic flow, road improvements, drainage, flooding, coastal protection, reliable drinking water, to name a few. There are solutions that have not been fully explored due to the infighting amongst leadership. I would look for ways to speed up delivery of existing projects. For the issues without a clear path forward, it will take a fresh set of eyes and thoughts to come up with workable solutions. I have the experience to bring new ideas on how to solve the issues.
  • In the long term, the biggest challenge is finding the right balance between responsible growth, affordable living and quality of life. Tough choices must be made by listening to all parties including constituents, developers and business owners. Rationale for decisions require transparency and consistent communication.
  • Businesses and residents should coexist in harmony by providing a growing economy that embraces affordable living and infrastructure that supports the current and future population. We must preserve and build on what makes St. Tammany great.
• What would be the first issue you would tackle if elected:
• The $20M deficit must be addressed. This is not an easy task. This is a complex issue that will not be fixed overnight. Additionally, in order for the council to work effectively we must repair relationships with parish administrators.
• Designated funding sources and expenditures must be reviewed to ensure efficient use of funds. We must look for opportunities to eliminate waste and work more efficiently to decrease costs and reduce time to deliver projects.
• There must be a comprehensive plan to renew millages. Residents must be informed well in advance of renewals to ensure the impacts of the millage are fully understood. Our community wants to continue to have the quality of life that we all enjoy but they also want to know that the council are good stewards of their tax money.

Kathy Seiden

• Age: 52
• Office Sought: St. Tammany Parish District 4
• Party: Republican
• Occupation: Self Employed
• City: Mandeville
• Public Email: committeetoelectkathyseiden@gmail.com
• Website and social media addresses: http://bestcandidate.us/KathySeiden/
• High School: Episcopal High School
• College: Louisiana State University
• List All Professional Experience: Small Business Owner
• List Any Community Service Highlights:
  • Mary Queen of Peace School Board, 7 years
  • Chaired various charity fundraisers
  • Volunteered for Family Promise
• Have you ever run for or held public office before? If so, what offices and where: No
• How Long Have You Lived In Your Current Parish And In Louisiana: 21 Years
• What made you decide to run for this office in particular: I decided to run for the office of Parish Council District 4 because of my profound connection to this community. My family moved to Mandeville over 20 years ago, and we have raised our four boys here, creating countless cherished memories. However, as my children have grown and explored opportunities in other areas, I've become acutely aware of the challenges our community faces. Many young people are leaving due to a perceived lack of economic opportunity and quality of life issues. I'm running to address these concerns and ensure that St. Tammany Parish becomes an attractive place for our children and future generations to stay, prosper, and contribute. My commitment lies in fostering responsible growth with an emphasis on safety and education, ultimately creating a thriving and vibrant parish.
• Other than people, what would you say is the greatest asset your community has: Other than our wonderful residents, one of the greatest assets our community has is our natural environment. St. Tammany Parish boasts stunning landscapes, waterways, and a rich biodiversity that enrich our lives. Our natural surroundings contribute to the high quality of life we enjoy here and offer numerous opportunities for recreation, tourism, and ecological preservation. Protecting and responsibly managing our environment is crucial for sustaining our community's charm and appeal.
• What is the greatest challenge your community faces in the near term and in the long term: The greatest challenge our community faces is finding the right balance between growth and preserving the unique qualities that make St. Tammany Parish exceptional. As our parish experiences increased development and the need for infrastructure improvements, we must simultaneously protect our natural resources and maintain our exceptional quality of life. Striking this balance is essential to ensure that our community remains a place where families want to live, work, and thrive.
• What would be the first issue you would tackle if elected: Budgeting is a major concern, and I plan to help collaborate with the Parish Council and Parish President to work together to tackle the deficit in our budget. I think the lack of proper planning and development are also a major issue that I would seek counsel from local businesses and residents.

COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICT 5

Douglas "Doug" Ferrer

• Age: 61
• Office Sought: St. Tammany Parish Council District 5
• Party: Republican
• Occupation: Retired
• City: Covington
• Public Email: douglasferrer54@gmail.com
• Website and social media addresses: DougFerrer.com
• High School: Mandeville High
• College: Louisiana Tech University
• Post-graduate: Southeastern LA University
• List All Professional Experience:
  • 37 years as a senior level and executive level community banker and financial professional
  • 14 years as a volunteer youth sports coach
  • 20 years as a charity emcee and auctioneer
  • Served on multiple boards for non-profit organizations and business organizations in St. Tammany.
• List Any Community Service Highlights:
  • Emcee and auctioneer for various organizations (Hope House, St. Paul's, Our Lady of the Lake, St. Michael's, St. Tam. Chamber, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Southeastern University, Ducks Unlimited)
  • WWOZ, Children's Museum, Jazz Fest, Samaritan Center, STARC, Volunteers of America, etc., providing hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships and programs to benefit the community. Served on several boards (Chamber, Kiwanis, Northshore Cancer Foundation, Covington CC HOA, Ducks Unlimited, etc.)
• Have you ever run for or held public office before? If so, what offices and where: No
• How Long Have You Lived In Your Current Parish And In Louisiana: My entire life
• What made you decide to run for this office in particular: After retirement, I decided to either stop complaining about the current situation or put my skills to work attempting to fix the problems. We need better budgeting, smarter development, long-term plans, transparency and a forward-thinking council that works in harmony with the administration to make St. Tammany a World Class Community.
• Other than people, what would you say is the greatest asset your community has: Low crime, great public schools and small-town charm.
• What is the greatest challenge your community faces in the near term and in the long term:
  • Currently, we face a budget deficit that will exceed $10MM in 2024. We need seasoned financial skills and forensic account to make cuts and reallocation of assets, while maintaining our high quality of life.
  • We need a long-term plan for water and sewage issues and not simply kicking the can down the road by applying band-aids.
  • We need to reduce the size of the council and make the positions fulltime.
  • We need to bring business efficiency to government bureaucracy and transform our council into a more responsive, efficient agency for all St. Tammany residents.
• What would be the first issue you would tackle if elected:
  • Balance the budget with a ground up review of all budget items and mandated expense.
  • Get a Charter Amendment on the ballot to reduce the council size by 2028.
  • Develop plans for a Public/Private partnership to expand and centralize water and sewage in densely populated areas of St. Tammany to reduce discharge into our waterways by 50%+ over 15 years

"Pat" Phillips

• Age: 69
• Office Sought: St. Tammany Parish Council District 5
• Party: Republican
• Occupation: Corporate Pilot
• City: Mandeville, Covington, Abita Springs
• Public Email: phillipep@att.net
• Website and social media addresses:
  • VotePatPhillips.com
  • Facebook
• High School: South Hills Catholic H.S.
• College: University of Pittsburgh
• List All Professional Experience:
  • U.S. Marine Corps Major, Naval Aviator
  • Corporate Pilot
• List Any Community Service Highlights:
  • I am a graduate of Leadership St. Tammany West
  • Past Chairman and current member, of the St. Tammany Parish President’s Veterans And Military Affairs Advisory
  • Member of the V.F.W., and the American
  • Marine Corps League Detachment, in Mandeville charter member
  • I am a member of Our Lady Of The Lake Knights Of Columbus and Our Lady Of The Lake Men’s Club
  • Past Chair of the St. Tammany Parish Sub-Drainage District #2 Of Drainage District 5
  • I am a member of the Civil Air Patrol, St. Tammany Composite Squadron
  • A member of the Northshore Kiwanis Club
• Have you ever run for or held public office before? If so, what offices and where:
  • Currently elected to the Republican State Central Committee, District 11-H, Mandeville, Covington area.
  • Past Republican Executive Committee Member (RPEC) District 5, St. Tammany Parish, Mandeville, Covington area.
  • Past candidate for Louisiana State Representative, District 89 in Mandeville, Covington area.
• How Long Have You Lived In Your Current Parish And In Louisiana: 24 years 11 months
• What made you decide to run for this office in particular:
  • I received orders to Marine Forces Reserve Headquarters in NOLA, August 1998 and moved to St. Tammany Parish that October. After retiring from the Marine Corps, my wife Barbara and I decided to continue raising our 3 children in Mandeville, LA. They now have careers and families of their own.
  • Over the last several years I have been a board member and past chairman of Sub Drainage District 2, of Gravity Drainage District 5 of St. Tammany Parish (SDD-2). SDD-2 is a drainage district formed specifically for Meadowbrook subdivision. 
  • As past chairman and member of SDD-2, I was responsible for the planning, scheduling, and budgeting of all projects. At times I had to interface with the parish engineers, lawyers and the district attorney’s office.
  • During Hurricane Ida, I worked closely with the LA Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOSHEP), and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Post Hurricane Ida, SDD-2 was required to spend its operating budget to remove debris Ida left in the major drainage ditches surrounding the subdivision.
  • I contacted GOSHEP and FEMA and completed all the necessary paperwork the state and federal agencies required SDD-2 to submit for reimbursement. SDD-2 was reimbursed 100K+ dollars spent on Hurricane Ida clean up, positioning SDD-2 to complete annual drainage maintenance.
  • Many residents appreciated my efforts working drainage and other community issues and encouraged me to be a candidate for Parish Council District 5.
• Other than people, what would you say is the greatest asset your community has: St. Tammany is a safe area offering a comfortable quality of life to raise your family and own a business.
• What is the greatest challenge your community faces in the near term and in the long term: St. Tammany Parish is growing rapidly with more efficient drainage, lack of infrastructure and increased traffic issues. They have not been able to keep pace with the parish growth. The funding required to fix them, depends on the parish budget or other federal funds becoming available to fund them.
• What would be the first issue you would tackle if elected: The parish budget or lack of funding is the elephant in the room. I would support a forensic audit to verify where all the tax money is going and make the results available for all to see. This would provide a specific starting point, verifying exactly what funds are or are not available. The transparent audit would also give the voters peace of mind there tax dollars are being used wisely.

COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICT 9

David Cougle

• Age: 64
• Office Sought: St. Tammany Parish District 9
• Party: Republican
• Occupation: Teacher
• City: Slidell
• Public Email: shsenglish1@hotmail.com
• Website and social media addresses:
  • www.Smithdistrict9.com
  • www.facebook.com/mikesmithdistrict9
• High School: Messick High School in Memphis
• College: LSU
• Post-graduate: Southeastern
• List All Professional Experience:
  • Federal Express- 10 years
  • Small business owner-7 years
  • Teacher-23 years and counting
• List Any Community Service Highlights:
  • Assistant Scoutmaster-8 years.
  • Men's Club Church-5 years.
  • Frequent volunteer for political campaigns.
• Have you ever run for or held public office before? If so, what offices and where: I and running for re-election. This is the first elected office I have held.
• How Long Have You Lived In Your Current Parish And In Louisiana: 23 years.
• What made you decide to run for this office in particular: I was approached to run by people I had helped politically.
• Other than people, what would you say is the greatest asset your community has: Land, natural beauty, an economically strategic location.
• What is the greatest challenge your community faces in the near term and in the long term: Attracting quality jobs to the area, planning and managing growth, maintaining a quality educational system, protection against flooding and storms, growing local government revenues to cover these needs without raising taxes.
• What would be the first issue you would tackle if elected: Exploring privatization and improvements of the parish-owned water and sewage system.

Note: The preceding Q&As were not edited for style or substance, though if content did not meet our editorial standards, it was deleted.