Tommy Davis (Louisiana politician)

Marvin Thomas "Tommy" Davis
Mayor of Minden, Louisiana
Incumbent
Assumed office November 5, 2013
Preceded by	Joe Cornelius, Sr. (interim mayor)
Minden City Council (District D)
In office January 2007 – November 5, 2013
Preceded by	Robert Drew White
Succeeded by	Michael Scott Toland
Personal details
Born	(1942-09-29) September 29, 1942 Stephens, Ouachita County Arkansas, USA
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	(1) Vernie Bryan Davis (died 1996) (2) Nelda Joy Ward Hensley Davis
Children	From first marriage: Scott Patrick Davis (born 1966) Stanley Paul Davis (born 1968) Suzanne Davis Burkett (born 1972)
Alma mater	Stephens High School
Occupation	Businessman Realtor

Marvin Thomas Davis, known as Tommy Davis (born September 29, 1942), is the mayor of Minden in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. Davis was sworn into office on November 5, 2013,^[1] and elected to a full term on December 6, 2014.^[2]

Political life

Davis campaign sign (2014)

A Republican, Davis handily won the special election held on October 19, 2013. He unseated interim Mayor Joe Cornelius, Sr., an African-American Democrat and the former Mayor Pro Tem and the former District A member of the Minden City Council. Cornelius had served since June 27 upon the death of Mayor Bill Robertson, the longest-serving mayor in Minden history. Robertson had assumed the office in January 1991.^[3]

Davis polled votes 2,254 votes (61 percent); Cornelius, 821 ballots (22 percent). A second African-American Democrat, Walter "Woo" Morgan, Jr. (born July 1970), a barber and hair stylist, received the remaining 646 votes (17 percent).^[4] Of the 8,298 registered voters inside the city limits, 3,721 (44.8 percent) cast ballots. More than one thousand of those ballots were cast during early voting, which propelled Davis to a head start in the counting with 72 percent.^[5]

Upon taking office as mayor, Davis' District D seat on the Minden City Council became vacant. He was first elected to the council on September 30, 2006, when he defeated the Democrat Terry "TG" Gardner, 481 (58.1 percent) to 346 (41.8 percent).^[6] The council voted unanimously on November 5 to appoint another Republican businessman, Michael Scott "Mike" Toland (born September 1959), to fill Davis' council seat.^[1] Toland follows in the steps of his grandfather, Cecil C. Toland (1905-1976), an oil products distributor, who was elected to the city council in 1952.^[7] Gardner, a businessman and entrepreneur, was defeated again for the city council in the 2014 primary, this time by Mike Toland.

After Robertson's death, a letter which he had written while trying to recover from his illness was released. By this means, Robertson posthumously endorsed Davis as his preferred successor should Robertson become unable to complete his term, which extended until January 1, 2015.^[8] The Minden City Council, however, ignored Robertson's request and voted three-to-two along racial lines to elevate Cornelius as the interim mayor.^[9] On July 19, Davis announced that he would seek to fill through the special election the remaining months of Robertson's term.^[10]

In the campaign for mayor, Davis called for the creation of industrial jobs to enhance the spending capacity of the citizens.^[11] Davis proposed improvements at the south industrial complex, including construction of an access road and water and sewerage infrastructure. "We have two hundred acres that are available down there, but we need to be able to get to that acreage to develop it. That's across the railroad tracks, so we need to put in a railroad crossing."^[11] Davis also urged that the city increase its electrical power grid and water storage capacity.^[11]

The 2014 city budget under Davis included 2 percent raises for city workers and increased fees for some city services, which were passed along to the public: "I don't want to cry wolf, but with our revenue being flat and everything costing more than it used to, we're having to work hard to get a balanced budget. But I'm confident we will have one because we don't want to take it out of reserves."^[12]

Davis is only the third Republican elected mayor of Minden since 1966, the others having been Tom Colten and Paul A. Brown.^[3] The term extended for under fifteen months.^[9] Davis ran again in the runoff election on December 6, 2014 for a full term as mayor. He faced a No-Party candidate, Charles Deck "Chad" Odom (born February 1975), who holds a Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies and Regional Planning with an emphasis in International Economic Development from the University of New Orleans.^[13] In the November 4 primary, Davis led the three-candidate field with 2,045 votes (44.5 percent) to Odom's 1,467 (31.9 percent). In third place was former Mayor Joe Cornelius, Sr., the 2013 losing candidate, with 1,089 votes (23.7 percent).^[14] Odom is the son of Webster Parish Police Juror Charles D. Odom (born January 1951), an Independent, and Pattie Lou Cook Odom (born October 1951), the Minden municipal downtown and economic development director who lost a race in 1991 as a Democratic candidate for state representative from Webster Parish. Odom's maternal grandfather was Harold Rae "Boe" Cook (1925-1997),^[15] the owner of and popular broadcaster for KASO radio in Minden. One of his great-grandfathers was S. P. D. Coyle, a former mayor of Cotton Valley north of Minden, who died in 1955.^[16]

Mayor Tommy Davis campaigning in the 2014 Veterans Day parade

Chad Odom campaigning for mayor of Minden. He lost by 225 votes to incumbent Tommy Davis, who thereafter dismissed Odom's mother, Pattie Lou Cook Odom, from her former position as the director of downtown and economic development.

Davis prevailed in the runoff by 225 votes, 2,346 (52.5 percent) to Odom's 2,121 (47.5 percent).^[2] Davis said that his narrow victory was "not about me. It's about Minden and where we need to go and where we want to go." Barbara Robertson, widow of former Mayor Bill Robertson, said Davis's victory for a full term was "like fulfilling a dream … This was what he [Robertson] wanted. If he wasn't mayor, he wanted it for Tommy." Mrs. Robertson said that Davis like her husband understands the importance of reserve funds in case of emergencies."^[17] ho

Chad Odom said that while he was temporarily discouraged by his defeat: "We caused some of the most powerful people in Minden to spend a lot of money trying to beat a good idea. We're not going away, not going to pretend this didn't happen. The important thing is we continue pushing toward what we want as a community."^[18] Chad Odom soon left Minden to become the economic development director for Port Lavaca, Texas. He later took the position as Executive Director of Wharton Economic Development Corporation a Type B Sales Tax Corporation in Wharton, Texas, beginning in January 2017.^[13]

On December 30, 2014, Davis dismissed Pattie Odom, his former opponent's mother, from her five-year position as the economic and downtown development director, a post outside civil service. Odom noted that the timing of her exit made it impossible for her to complete a series of end-of-year reports required in the position. Odom said that Davis "asked for my resignation and I said 'No'. He said, due to reorganization, you will be terminated today (Tuesday). You don't fit into the picture.'"^[19] Davis said that economic development work will continue in his administration even with the temporarily vacant position.^[20] The establishment of the position of economic development director is a result of an assessment through the Louisiana Development Ready Communities, a plan to assist a city regarding economic and residential development.^[21]

Odom appealed her termination, but the city council in an open forum unanimously upheld the dismissal. Odom indicated that she would consider legal action against the city. Davis said that had the council voted to rehire Odom, she would have had to remain in her previous position, which no longer exists because of reorganization.^[22] The city cannot hire a new director until enabling legislation passes the legislature in Baton Rouge. State Representative Gene Reynolds of Webster Parish has introduced a bill favored by Mayor Davis and the city council which would permit the mayor alone with council concurrence to exert all power regarding the hiring and firing of a new economic development director. Meanwhile, all seven members of the previous economic development board resigned. The city hence has no board or no director on duty.^[23] James Graham, an African-American native of Virginia and formerly from Delaware, began work as the city's new economic development director on August 6, 2015. Davis said that the city is working to obtain land which businesses can immediately occupy upon their relocation to Minden. The focus will be on water, sewer, and electrical infrastructure, he said.^[24]

In 2017, Davis advanced a proposed annual municipal budget of $35,164,835 in revenues and $35,539,545 in expenses. The city will use its reserves to fill the $374,710 gap. "The reality is, we are either going to have to raise more revenue or cut services. I know the general public thinks we don't spend our money wisely, but we have made cuts to the budget," Davis said. To draw more revenues, Davis and city leaders plan to reconfigure water billings so that consumers will fall into one of four tiers based on usage.^[25]

In August 2017, Mayor Davis announced that prints of two Ben Earl Looney paintings, the Louisiana State Capitol and the Pentagon Barracks in Baton Rouge, will be displayed in the Cypress Room at Minden City Hall. Davis obtained both prints from Keith Ardoin, an art collector and a town council member in Krotz Springs in St. Landry Parish, whom he met at the Louisiana Municipal Association annual convention. Ardoin made the offer after learning about Looney's Minden background.^[26]

On July 12, 2018, Davis gave welcoming remarks for the statewide conference of the African-American Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, which met at the Mt. Zion congregation in Minden for the installation of the Fourth Episcopal District bishop, C. James King, Jr., of Mississippi. Davis bestowed King with a key to the city. Of his initial impression of Minden, King said: "Minden is really nice – I've really liked the people I've met, and that's what it's really all about is the people. The people are very cordial, very friendly, and they welcomed us tremendously."^[27]

The city council approved Davis' last budget for 2018-2019 in the amount of $33.3 million. The mayor called the spending plan "a very tight budget this year. … We have scrubbed it very close. We still left in some big projects that need to be done, some equipment purchases, and some street projects that desperately need to be done. But there’s no fluff in it at all – it’s very, very tight.”^[28]

Davis is not seeking a second full term in the nonpartisan blanket primary which will he held on November 6, 2018, in conjunction with national congressional races.^[29] A Democrat, William Kerry "Winky" Newer (born June 4, 1962), is seeking the position. The Oklahoma native relocated to Minden in 1971 and has been the long-term municipal recreation director. He is married to the former Kathryn Mourad^[30] (born May 27, 1958), an Independent, and the sister of Minden Fire Chief Kip Anthony Mourad (born February 21, 1957), a Republican. Newer said if elected he will seek to strengthen municipal financial growth." I will continue our attempts to lower the electrical rates by all means possible. We must continue our effort to attract new industry and business to our area," he said.

A second mayoral candidate, businessman Terry Lamar "T.G." Gardner (born May 18, 1954), is a Republican originally from Shreveport. He is married to the former Deborah Ann "Debbie" Walker (born May 19, 1957).^[31] Gardner ran unsuccessfully for the District 4 city council seat in 2014, having been defeated, 64 to 36 percent by fellow Republican, Mike Toland. Gardner ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat in previous city council races in 2003 and 2006. Gardner said that he opposes increasing fees and taxes and would if elected instead seek to upgrade the municipal infrastructure through the hiring of a full-time grant writer, who will pursue revenues from outside sources.^[31]

Personal life

Until her death in 1996, Davis was married to the former Vernie Bryan, shown in this picture teaching physics and chemistry in 1965 at Minden High School.

A native of Stephens in Ouachita County in south Arkansas, Davis graduated in 1960 from Stephens High School. Prior to becoming mayor, Davis had been involved in several Minden businesses. Davis has three children, Scott Patrick Davis (born September 12, 1966), Stanley Paul Davis (born January 25, 1968), and Suzanne Davis Burkett (born March 25, 1972), from his first marriage to the former Vernie Bryan (1943-1996),^[32] daughter of Floyd Thomas Bryan (1903-1956) and Mercie Mae Bryan (1907-2010) of Stephens, Arkansas.^[33] Vernie Davis was a teacher at Minden High School and later the private Glenbrook School in Minden. She is interred at Gardens of Memory Cemetery in Minden.^[34] Scott Davis resides in Alexander, a small town near Little Rock, Arkansas. Stanley Davis, a Minden native living in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, is retired from the United States Air Force. He was the featured speaker at the annual Independence Day flag raising ceremony at Eagle Park in 2018. A two-time squadron commander, his most recent service was as commander for the Air Force Reserve's 317th Airlift Squadron in Charleston, South Carolina. He entered the Air Force in 1986 through a Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, at which he was a vice commandant award winner . He was named one of only ten cadets nationwide for an AFROTC Cadet Exchange Program with the Royal Air Force in Great Britain.^[35] The Davis daughter, Suzanne Burkett, resides in the small community of Avery in Red River County, Texas.

After Vernie's death, Davis subsequently married the former Nelda Joy Ward Hensley (born August 28, 1946), the widow of Jimmy Keith Hensley (1947-1991), who is interred at Arlington Cemetery^[36] in Homer in Claiborne Parish.^[37] Davis is a long-term Minden businessman and real estate broker. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Minden, as had been Mayor Robertson.

References