[Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series profiling candidates in local elections coming up this fall.]
Bossier City voters in district 1 will be deciding on a representative in the Oct. 9 election.
The election is between Darren Ashley (D-Bossier City), Brian Hammons
(R-Bossier City), and Michael “Lum” Lombardino (I-Bossier City).
Darren Ashley has been a resident of South Bossier for over 30 years. He is a ’96 graduate of Parkway High School. After high school, he received his Associates degree in Business Administration from Bossier Parish Community College. He then earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Systems from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. Currently, he is the Chief Technology Officer for Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. He has over 23 years of experience in management and the Information Technology field.
Darren and his wife, Zandra Ashley have been married for 20 years. They have four children ages 21yrs old to 1yr old. He and his family attend New Eastside Baptist Church. Darren has been a youth football and basketball coach in South Bossier for more than 15 years.
Q: Why do you want to be Bossier City Councilman for District 1?
A: I believe that serving as City Council requires responsibility, accountability, time, dedication, and heart. It is a duty that is greater than myself and a duty that is greater than City Council. Serving as City Council requires a focus on the needs of the people of South Bossier and the people of Bossier City. We need commonsense leadership that is transparent and goal oriented. The citizens of South Bossier should not have to feel silenced nor neglected. We all want to feel safe and valued and we all want representation reflective of South Bossier. Our youth are depending on us to grow, thrive, and to provide them a secure future within South Bossier. As your District 1 City Council member, I will provide a pathway of resolve to the citizens of South Bossier for their future, families and communities.
Q: Tell me what your priorities will be if elected?
A: My priorities include: working with our law enforcement to resolve issues and concerns, a central focus on the citizens of South Bossier, working with our department of education to improve disparities and to help keep our educators here, economic development and growth by leveraging the Louisiana Economic Development tax incentive program to attract business, maintaining small town feel, improving neighborhood roads and working with local and state government to resolve issues with infrastructure, work to resolve flooding issues in our neighborhoods, support businesses and community organizations, work with local and state government to build a more inclusive, balanced, and productive Bossier City and build programs that invest in our youth.
Q: There are several issues that are important to Bossier residents. Transportation, economic development, infrastructure. How will you go about ensuring that these are addressed in your area and in Bossier Parish?
A: Transportation, and infrastructure are very important to economic development so in order to gain businesses that want to come to the area, we have to improve our infrastructure. This all starts with working with all levels of government to fix our underlying road issues so that we are not in a cycle of build and repair which costs the tax payers more and more money. With increased demand into the area, the city can work on providing transportation support to the citizen of South Bossier and all of Bossier City.
Brian Hammons has been a South Bossier resident for 17 years. He graduated from Airline High School in 1990. He attended Louisiana Tech School of Business Administration from 1990-1994, but did not graduate. He and his bride have been married for 18 years and attend Bellaire Baptist Church.
Brian is owner/builder/licensed contractor of TBH Construction. Prior to TBH Construction, Brian was a Project Manager for James M. Brown Builder and Real Estate for 14 years.
Brian served on the Bossier City Police Dept. Reserve Unit for six years. He is also a member of the Bossier City Lions Club, Member of the Krewe of Centaur, Member of the Louisiana State Home Builders Association Board of Directors and Member of the Northwest Louisiana Home Builders Association Board of Directors, where he serves on the Executive Committee as 2nd Vice President.
He has also participated in Operation Clean Sweep and other various community projects.
Q: Why do you want to be Bossier City Councilman for District 1?
A: I love South Bossier and District 1. I have been a resident of South Bossier for 17 years. I see the problems that face South Bossier, and I believe that I can help bring solutions to these problems as city councilman. South Bossier feels forgotten, our roads need repair, and we need more than new dollar stores in our area. South Bossier residents (who love their city very much) are forced with a daily decision to fight Bossier traffic to shop in North Bossier or save time and shop across the river. We need to work to keep those shoppers in Bossier City, inside of the city that we all love.
Q: Tell me what your priorities will be if elected?
A: 1. Fight for our streets to be repaired in South Bossier. 2. Push for safety in South Bossier. 3. Stimulate economic development in South Bossier. 4. Strengthen Property Standards in South Bossier.
Q: There are several issues that are important to Bossier residents. Transportation, economic development, infrastructure. How will you go about ensuring that these are addressed in your area and in Bossier Parish?
A: Thankfully, the State of Louisiana has agreed to replace the Jimmie Davis Bridge in South Bossier. This is a bridge that many in my city council district travel every single day, and it is a huge win for the residents of South Bossier. We have a traffic problem in Bossier City that prevents residents from quickly traveling from South Bossier to North Bossier. If a train is blocking the intersection of Airline Drive and Barksdale Blvd, or Airline Drive @ I20, it makes the traffic headache even worse for the citizens of South Bossier. This causes sales tax revenue to go across the river to Shreveport, since it is quicker to shop in Shreveport than Bossier if you live in South Bossier.
I would like to work with the other members of the council and the mayor to try to alleviate these concerns and traffic if possible. My understanding is that the new carriageway will alleviate some of this burden, but I believe we need to do everything possible to help fix these traffic concerns for Bossier City. We seem to be moving in the right direction, but the work is not done.
Michael and his wife Ann have been married for 38 years. They have two sons, Michael Jr., and Patrick, both of whom attended Elm Grove Jr. High and are graduates of Parkway High School. They returned from living in Ann’s hometown of Musselburgh, Scotland. During their time abroad, Michael was employed as a drilling fluid consultant for Maersk O & G based in Copenhagen Denmark working throughout the Danish, Dutch, Scottish, English and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea.
In 1990 they returned to the States moving to S. Bossier. Michael, along with his father, owned and operated Beam’s Restaurant for 17 years. During this during time Michael and his family supported all schools in the area both financially and in service. As the Haynesville Shale play begin to develop, he was fortunate enough to reenter the oil and gas industry. He is currently a Project Technical Manager. His position allows him to develop, present, implement and supervise drilling fluid programs that the company is awarded. These bids are part of multimillion dollar drilling projects the oil and gas operators develop in our area. Michael is a graduate of NSU and attends Christ the King Catholic Church.
Q: Why do you want to be Bossier City Councilman for District 1?
A: I wish to serve as your city Councilman for District 1 is because South Bossier is a large part of our family’s life. We are invested here, own our home, successfully operated, and owned a business and raised our boys here in South Bossier. We did this by choice, the sense of a tight knit community and close friendships we’ve developed, and we wish to see SOBO continue to prosper and develop. One will be hard pressed to find someone who will listen as I do, will work harder or who will more readily return your calls than I.
Q: Tell me what your priorities will be if elected?
A: As to priorities it is generally understood communities wish to feel secure and thus encouraging more active neighborhood watch programs. Liaison with our police department for more inter neighborhood presence. Increase support of community code enforcements to enhance and hold property values. People chose SOBO for our schools, security, friendliness, and appearance as a part of the community, we encourage the upkeep of our properties.
Continue to improve neighborhood drainage, sidewalks, and streets. Explore avenues for maintaining clear ditches/ drains to improve drainage and eliminated backups or stoppages. Possibly devote more resources to neighborhood street lighting, allowing people a sense of enhanced security. Enhance our relationship with utilities and move to reduce neighborhood outages.
Q: There are several issues that are important to Bossier residents. Transportation, economic development, infrastructure. How will you go about ensuring that these are addressed in your area and in Bossier Parish?
A: In being a conservative, we would like to see more development to hold our taxes to a minimum. More homes to the area will give business stronger reason to consider SOBO for expansion. We would embrace the Chamber of Commerce and encourage assured support to them in putting our city forward, thus helping the Chamber help Bossier City. I hope to develop a good relationship with the state DOTD to having more deceleration and acceleration lanes for turning into and coming onto Barksdale Blvd. We have a lot to be proud of in South Bossier and as a community we can continue to develop. District 1 is but one vote of seven on our City Council. I pledge to develop a harmonious working relationship with the other city council members to pursue and persuade in depth our case for District 1 and Bossier City as a whole.
