Breaux Bridge mayoral race stirring interest already

The campaign for mayor here is remarkable for the amount of public interest it has already generated.
There have been two well-attended public forums for the candidates, sponsored by different civic groups, and the election is still five months off.
Qualifying for the four-year position doesn’t even open until Aug. 20-22.
The two announced candidates thus far, former City Councilman Ricky Calais and Jill Hebert, a member of the St. Martin Parish Council, are both known qualities, both lifelong residents of the city. And while they differ in style – the kinetic Calais commanding more than a decade of policy, Hebert with a serene finger on the community pulse – they do not seem to offer divergent paths into the city’s dynamic future.
Both say the bottom line is how to fund that future. Neither have said specifically where the money will come from.
At a forum last month sponsored by the Breaux Bridge Area Chamber of Commerce, the candidates were quizzed about the city’s $200,000 “Resiliency Plan” to manage growth, how to spend the money generated by the special taxing district, whether Breaux Bridge should join the Metropolitan Planning Organization with Lafayette, how best to use Parc Hardy, and how to get the city’s iconic downtown bridge painted.
A similar forum was conducted earlier by the Breaux Bridge Downtown Merchants Association.
The Breaux Bridge municipal election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 4, to coincide with the Congressional election.
Also on the ballot is chief of police and five council positions. A runoff, if needed, will be on Saturday, Dec. 6.
Early voting will be Oct. 21-28.