The Fount Online News

Arcadia Mayor Eugene Smith

Arcadia Town Attorney Patrick O. Jefferson

The word “arcadia” means idyllic contentment, but several citizens of Arcadia, LA gathered at city hall on the evening of October 27, 2009 with high hopes of continuing to make their fine town an even better place to live.

In the first of several scheduled Town Hall meetings, several officials and volunteers are making sure no grass grows under their feet as they seek to shape and mold Arcadia for the better during a very opportunistic era.

After welcoming the attendees and an opening prayer by Rev. Dill, Arcadia Mayor Eugene Smith began the meeting in a very upbeat tone, and his excitement could be felt throughout the hall.  The State of Louisiana’s Economic Development Department recently selected Arcadia as 1 of 12 municipalities to receive an assessment of the best ways to improve quality of living standards, and the citizens of Arcadia are in good position to have a positive impact that would last for generations.

Mayor Smith provided a brief update of recent economic developments including a new $3 million dollar community civic center to be located just south of the Willow Ridge Nursing Home, a new wood shaving mill, new feed mill, salt production plant and a Holiday Inn Express next to the Arcadia Mall.

Arcadia Town Attorney Patrick Jefferson buttressed the mayor’s enthusiasm by saying “We want the rest of the state and the nation to appreciate what we have by building an Arcadia that our children and grandchildren will be proud of.”  Jefferson, who also serves as a local Police Juror reminded Town Hall attendees “As Arcadia goes, so goes Bienville Parish.”

Collectively, both Smith and Jefferson praised the new growth of Arcadia and stated that Arcadia is not trying to be a Shreveport or a Monroe, but the effort is to enhance the best qualities which are already found here.  The question was asked “How should Arcadia be shaped and grow?”

Arcadians now have a unique say in the matter, as a formal Community Assessment Stakeholder Survey and a Community Assessment Business Owner/Management Survey were made available for Arcadians to grade the quality of life based on their perceptions of Arcadia and surrounding areas.  Attorney Jefferson said “Strategic planning can’t be effective without the citizens as stake holders in this matter.”

Mayor Smith reiterated by saying these assessment surveys are very necessary and serve as a starting place to inform Louisiana Economic Development of Arcadia’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.  Arcadia’s new Economic Developer Jan Sims stated that an analysis of these surveys will be forwarded to the state.

As the meeting began to wind down, Mayor Smith praised all those who attended and stated that he wished Arcadia’s Town Council meetings had these kinds of numbers, because the citizens of Arcadia need to see what decisions are being made about their town and have a say in those decisions.

Other developments in the Town of Arcadia include receiving a $676,000 grant to redo all the lift stations in Arcadia, and a $100,000 grant from the economic stimulus to improve roads.  Among many other benefits Arcadians enjoy, he also stated that Arcadia is completely debt free.

Mayor Smith was especially proud of the fact that Arcadia has a very good tax rate of 5.85 mills and that the property tax revenue has increased from $65,000 annually to $100,000 since his administration began because of new residents and new businesses coming to Arcadia. He ended the meeting by thanking everyone for coming out, and he asked for everyone to fill out the community assessment surveys, and to encourage other Arcadians to fill them out as well.

Other elected officials present: Bienville Parish School Board Member Danny Lowe, Arcadia Town Council Members Maggie Roberson, Mattie Harris and Doretha Nelson.  The next Arcadia Town Hall Meeting is scheduled at 6:00 p.m. on November 17, 2009 at the newly refurbished Willie Abney Center.