Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

My name is A. B. Davis-Johnson, Sr. I have the honor of serving as Pastor for Rose of Sharon Baptist Church in Monroe, LA. The purpose of this article is to tell you why Mayor Jamie Mayo deserves our prayers, support and vote to serve as Mayor for the next four years. Mayor Mayo and his family have dedicated their lives to serving this community. His wife is a retired educator; and, their two children are nurses working on the frontlines to take care of people during this coronavirus pandemic. Their track record shows that they put Monroe first!

Mayor Mayo is a man of faith who does all he can to help the people God has blessed him to be able to serve. I can't help but think back to 2005 when he opened the doors of our civic center and our city to the thousands of people who evacuated New Orleans and south Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina. How he mobilized our fire, police and public works to clean debris and restore services when a tornado hit Monroe a few years ago. Or, in 2016 when all northeast Louisiana was under water, he opened the doors of our community centers to provide shelter to those whose homes were flooded. He has worked with federal, state and local officials to put together a comprehensive flood program that is securing millions of dollars for projects to protect our city & parish – and our homes, businesses, schools and places of worship.

When other employers have turned down our friends and relatives because they've made mistakes in the past, Mayor Mayo is one of the few people who give those men and women a chance to have a job and get back on the right track so they can provide for their families. Years ago, Mayo raised the minimum wage for full-time City of Monroe employees to $10 per hour. We know that he cares.

He looks out for you and our children. Since he has been in office Mayor Mayo has given part-time summer jobs to thousands of our children and grandchildren. For many of them, it was their first job ever – and it put them on a path to success. Much like the community service scholarship he created through a partnership with Entergy and Community Outreach of Ouachita. One that has awarded nearly 200 graduating high school seniors with college scholarships through privately raised funds.

Even during the public health crisis, we are facing, right now. Mayor Mayo communicates to us daily. He comes on that Monroe City Facebook page, writes weekly columns in the Monroe Dispatch newspaper, conducts press conferences and reaches out to the people of Monroe, in so many ways, to educate and inform us about what we must do to protect ourselves and those we love. For such a time as this – when there is so much turmoil and uncertainty, we need proven leadership in the Mayor's office. We need someone with an education in business. We need someone with the experience of having managed through a crisis. Mayo has done that through Hurricane Katrina, Rita, Ike Gustav, a tornado, the 2016 flood...and, he is doing it now in this present storm. Let's make the wise decision and choose proven performance over promises. That is why I am giving my full support and urge you to vote for Mayor Jamie Mayo as Mayor of the City of Monroe.

Photo Mayor Jamie Mayo