Candidates in the October 12, 2019 Election

Dr. Vickie Auguste, BESE District 6 Candidate

Dr. Auguste, a product of the East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System, is a native of Baton Rouge and a resident of Ascension Parish. She and her husband Bruce, have four adult children and one minor child who attends high school in the Ascension Parish Public School System. They have six grandchildren and two godchildren. 

Dr. Auguste has an undergraduate degree in sociology, a master’s degree in social science and a master’s degree in education administration, all acquired from Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She earned a doctorate degree in educational leadership from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. Dr. Auguste is a highly qualified and certified Louisiana educator, having worked in the field of education for over two decades. In addition to her experience as a classroom teacher, Dr. Auguste has worked as an assistant principal. She is also a former teacher of Livingston Parish Public School System, having taught at Denham Springs Junior High and Northside Elementary schools. She is currently an educational diagnostician.

Dr. Auguste is very passionate about the public school system. She will work hard to develop equitable policies that govern the statewide operations of public and non-public schools; increase accountability measures, particularly for charter schools; and increase oversight of the voucher system. 

Hi, my name is Brian Ross a Republican. I am 50 years old. I am the owner of OK Computers in Denham Springs, and I am running for Livingston Parish Council District 3.

Livingston Parish is a wonderful place to live, and I would like to help keep it that way by getting involved with the local government. I want this parish to be all it can be for my family, friends, and neighbors. I want to ensure a clean healthy environment with clean water, effective drainage, and sewer services for future generations.
We must bring Fiscal Conservatism back to the parish with complete transparency to strengthen the people's trust. We must work diligently to find ways to cut government spending and reduce debt. With this, we can fund more parish-wide needs without putting more tax burdens on the people. We need common sense and fiscally conservative budgeting of parish funds. Relentlessly work on obtaining more grant funds for the ever-expanding need for flood protection and infrastructure improvements.

We cannot alleviate our flooding issues without first repairing our current drainage system to pre-flood condition. We can't build on something that is broken. The decision to begin the process of implementing the master plan may be correct but the people cannot wait that long for flood relief. They need it now! There are areas now with problems of flooding whereas never before. This is due to damages to and debris still in, our drainage system. We all understand it takes time and resources to deal with an unprecedented event like the flood of 2016, but it has been three years.

The continued growth and new developments are putting more burdens on our already overburdened infrastructure and failing drainage and sewer systems. There must be more oversight on these developments to prevent more negative impacts on the neighboring communities.

I believe my experience in various industries gives me the diversified knowledge needed to help make important decisions in our ever-growing parish. Studied business management and computer sciences at the University of Massachusetts. Previous computer department manager for Campo Electronics, property manager for real estate firm, owner and financial officer for land Development Corporation, and an LA licensed mortgage and lending loan officer before opening my computer services business OK Computers and OK auto sales. My wife Maria, a school teacher, and I have four children and nine grandchildren with another grandchild on the way. We are active members of Accountability Church in Livingston.

On October 12th, I ask for your support and your vote. Vote Brian Ross # 97 for Livingston Parish Council District 3.

Shannon Sloan has announced her candidacy for Livingston Parish Council District 3 in the October 12th election.  The seat is currently held by Maurice “Scooter” Keen.

Sloan says she does not consider herself to be a politician but is running for office because she feels a responsibility to fight for individual rights. “It is the government’s responsibility is to protect the rights of the people, not to solve their problems for them or outline how they should live”, she said. 
 
A former Republican, Sloan says she grew tired of the two-party system.  “The pendulum just swings back and forth with both parties fighting to control our lives, just in two different ways”, she said. 
 
She is now a member of the Libertarian Party and agrees with its platform in that individuals have the right to live their lives the way they choose, so long as they don’t infringe on the rights of others.
 
“I believe that God gave us free will and that the individual has the right to make his or her own choices, as well as responsibility for the consequences of those choices”, she said.
 
Sloan is a fiscal conservative and a strong supporter of the free market, individual property rights, and lowering taxes. She believes that the government has no business in social issues.
 
“The government has grown completely out of control, even at the local level. What we need is more freedom and less government”, she said.
 
Sloan, 42, grew up in the New Orleans area and relocated to Baton Rouge in 1995 to attend LSU.  She has lived in District 3 for the past 11 years.  She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and has been employed by Franklin Press for 20 years.  She also serves on the Libertarian Party of Louisiana State Central Committee.  She is the mother of 3 children, Anna, Ryan, and Remy.