Grace Ann Blake will be sworn in as the new interim commissioner representing District 8 at the Commission in Sept., probably at its first meeting.
Blake will be the second interim appointee to the District 8 commission seat. Former commissioner Jim
Taliaferro resigned this position in Dec. 2022 to become a member of the Shreveport City Council.
This term ends in Jan. 2024 when the new commission members take office.
Ron Cothran was appointed in Jan. of this year to this seat.
Both Cothran and Blake qualified for this unexpired term.
Blake is also a candidate for the new commission term beginning in Jan. of next year along with Tim Euler.
Cothran's residence shifted from District 8 to District 10 in the re-districting which is effective for the terms beginning in 2024. (He still is a resident of the current District 8.)
Initially, Cothran qualified for both the interim term in District 8 and the new term in District 10.
Needless to say, appearing in two districts on the Oct. ballot would be confusing to voters, and possible detrimental to Cothran's District 10 race.
For this reason, Cothran decided to withdraw from the District 8 interim election, leaving Blake as the only candidate on the ballot. Thus, she will be sworn in as the new interim commissioner.
Taliaferro is a Republican and District 8 is a Republican majority district.
Cothran is a Democrat.
His appointment shifted the former even split of Republicans and Democrats on the council to a seven Democrat majority.
Blake is a Republican and once she is on the Commission, the Republican-Democrat balance will then be even.
This equality could be important on many upcoming votes between now and Jan. of next year.
The first vote that will be of significance for Blake will be the proposed $200 thousand to provide air conditioning for Parish residents.
Another vote of interest will be the proposed new noise ordinance that should be on the Commission agenda in Sept. or Oct.
For good or bad, Blakes interim appointment may affect her election chances in the Oct. 14 primary depending on her votes on controversial issues.