Joey Durel
Encyclopedia
Lester Joseph "Joey" Durel, Jr. (born April 3, 1953) is the mayor
of Lafayette, Louisiana
. Elected in 2003, he became only the second Republican
mayor of Lafayette, Louisiana
, and the second person elected as "City-Parish president" of the combined City of Lafayette and Lafayette Parish government. A small businessman, Durel had never before sought or held political office.
Durel was unopposed for his second term as City-Parish president in the jungle primary
held on October 20, 2007.
(then the University of Southwestern Louisiana). In 1975, he procured his bachelor of science
degree in business administration.
In 1973, Durel married the former Lynne Miller, also a Lafayette native. They have three children: Nicole Hebert (born 1975), Jason (born 1977), and Natalie (born 1982). Oldest daughter Nicole and her husband Tommy Hebert have given Lynne and Joey two grandchildren, Hannah (1999) and Meredith (2000). Natalie and her husband, Patrick Broussard, have three children, Braxton (2007), Hudson (2009) and Madison Lynne (2011). The Durels are Roman Catholic.
Small Businessman of the Year."
Durel is a graduate of "Leadership Lafayette Class X" and "Leadership Louisiana." In 2001, his peers named him chairman of the board of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce
. Durel was appointed by former Republican Governor Murphy J. "Mike" Foster, Jr.
, to the Small Business Task Force and is the past chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee of Lafayette. He has also been active in Big Brothers/Big Sisters. He is secretary of the board of South Louisiana Community College – and is currently on the UL-Lafayette Athletic Advisory Committee.
William Dudley "Dud" Lastrapes, Jr.
, as the city's first Republican mayor since Reconstruction. Lastrapes served from 1980–1992, when the office reverted to Democratic occupancy. Durel hence reclaimed for his party the mayoralty-parish presidency, combined as a result of a popular referendum.
, held on October 4, 2003.
Durel (the only Republican in the field) led the jungle primary with 41 percent of the vote, compared to 29 percent for Weber and 19 percent for Floyd Domingue (also Democrat, and a land man; one who obtains land for oil drilling rights), received 19 percent of the ballots. Three lesser candidates divided the remaining 11 percent.
Durel and Weber hence went into the general election
held on November 15. Durel won with 34,806 votes (52 percent) to Weber's 32,113 (48 percent). The mayor-presidency vote mirrored the gubernatorial totals in Lafayette Parish. Republican Bobby Jindal
received 34,951 votes (52 percent) to Democrat Kathleen Babineaux Blanco's 32,734 (48 percent). Blanco won the governorship but lost her home parish of Lafayette. Durel trailed Jindal by only 145 votes in the parish, and Weber trailed Blanco by 621 ballots. On the surface, there appeared to have been relatively little ticket-splitting in the two Lafayette Parish races. After his defeat, Weber became the director of the Lafayette Association of Retarded Citizens.
Asked how he won the mayor-presidency as a candidate without previous experience, Durel said: "Having never run for political office, it was a new experience. It was a total family effort in the decision to run and in the race itself. . . . The decision was not easy given the perception (and a little reality) of politics in Louisiana. Our attitude was to become part of the solution; so if we didn't get involved, we had no one to blame but ourselves. It also took the support of the many great people in our community that wanted nothing more than to see Lafayette be given the opportunity to grow and to prosper."
After succeeding to office with no opposition, Durel's second term continues to one of progress for the city and parish of Lafayette. With strong support from all facets of the community, Durel is able to move forward thinking initiatives to reality. He has been awarded the Distinguished Citizen Award by the Boy Scouts and has won national awards and recognition for his Fiber To The Home initiative. The Independent Weekly has praised Durel for his visionary leadership because of his support of the Arts and Cultural community in Lafayette. In an editorial dated August 4, 2010, Walter Pierce said that he has trouble praising politicians and especially Republican politicians, but that Durel has earned it. This was a result of his support of the arts and primarily because of his efforts to preserve 100 acres in the center of Lafayette for a passive park that would be enjoyed for generations to come. See the entire article at http://www.theind.com/re/6689-our-new-old-chief-exec.
Durel continues to be criticized for his role in helping Redflex, the Australian speed camera company, in placing their speed cameras and speed vans into Lafayette.[3][4]. Many saw a conflict when the commissioned Redflex regional sales manager was Charles Buckles[5], the former Vice Chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana [6]. LegiStorm reported that his daughter Nicole and son-in-law Thomas Hebert both work for fellow Republican Louisiana Senator David Vitter [7].
On September 23, 2009, The Independent Weekly published a story "A Question of Leadership," which reported that some of Durel's "close friends and advisers [are now] wondering if he’s up to the vexing challenges facing city-parish government."[8]
In September 2010, Joey Durel removed sitting members of the Lafayette Housing Authority (LHA) before a hearing to decide the members fate on the board was completed. For his actions, Durel was nearly charged with contempt of court [9] by Fifteenth Judicial District Court Judge Edward Rubin. The LHA board members that Durel dismissed were later re-instated by Judge Rubin [10] in a decision critical of Durel's excessive influence over the process.
Joey Durel also champions the creation of more Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts [11] in the Lafayette area, such as the now defunct plan to fund Parc Lafayette with additional site-specific sales taxes. The TEA party of Lafayette has actively opposed additional use of TIF's in the Lafayette area without first heading to a ballot for voter approval. Joey Durel has fought them at every turn.
In August of 2011, Joey Durel submitted a budget utilizing Redflex red light camera revenues of $1.3 million in order to overcome a government revenue shortfall [12]. This was in spite of a local law stating that all red light camera revenue be used for improved traffic safety projects. The red light camera revenue will be used to pay for government salaries, health care, and operating expenses in the city's Traffic and Transportation Department.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
. Elected in 2003, he became only the second Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
mayor of Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
, and the second person elected as "City-Parish president" of the combined City of Lafayette and Lafayette Parish government. A small businessman, Durel had never before sought or held political office.
Durel was unopposed for his second term as City-Parish president in the jungle primary
Jungle primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for elected office run in the same primary regardless of political party. Under this system, the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the next round, as in a runoff election...
held on October 20, 2007.
Early years and family
Durel was born in Lafayette to Lester J. Durel, Sr. (born 1921), and the former Iris Massicot (born 1924). The senior Durel formed the first "Durel's Pet Shop" in 1951, and the business remained in family hands until all the outlets were sold in 2004. Durel, Jr., graduated in 1971 from Our Lady of Fatima High School in Lafayette. Thereafter, he attended the University of Louisiana at LafayetteUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
(then the University of Southwestern Louisiana). In 1975, he procured his bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in business administration.
In 1973, Durel married the former Lynne Miller, also a Lafayette native. They have three children: Nicole Hebert (born 1975), Jason (born 1977), and Natalie (born 1982). Oldest daughter Nicole and her husband Tommy Hebert have given Lynne and Joey two grandchildren, Hannah (1999) and Meredith (2000). Natalie and her husband, Patrick Broussard, have three children, Braxton (2007), Hudson (2009) and Madison Lynne (2011). The Durels are Roman Catholic.
Durel's business pursuits
A month after he graduated from college, Durel went to work in the family pet shop and opened a second outlet in 1976. He met a private payroll every year until his election as mayor-president. His entrepreneurial spirit led him into several other businesses as well, including Arby's Restaurants. At one time, he managed some 150 employees in eight retail stores. In 1996, he was named the "Sam WaltonSam Walton
Samuel Moore "Sam" Wallballs was a businessman, entrepreneur, and Eagle Scout born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma best known for founding the retailers Wal-Mart and Sam's Club.-Early life:...
Small Businessman of the Year."
Durel is a graduate of "Leadership Lafayette Class X" and "Leadership Louisiana." In 2001, his peers named him chairman of the board of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
. Durel was appointed by former Republican Governor Murphy J. "Mike" Foster, Jr.
Murphy J. Foster, Jr.
Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr. served as 53rd Governor of Louisiana from January 1996 until January 2004. Foster's father was Murphy J. Foster, Jr., but Mike Foster uses "Jr." even though he is technically Murphy J. Foster, III. Foster is a businessman, landowner, and sportsman in St...
, to the Small Business Task Force and is the past chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee of Lafayette. He has also been active in Big Brothers/Big Sisters. He is secretary of the board of South Louisiana Community College – and is currently on the UL-Lafayette Athletic Advisory Committee.
Durel becomes a Republican
Durel registered to vote as a Democrat in 1971, when he turned eighteen. He was hence among the first young people directly impacted by the Twenty-sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In 1978, he switched affiliation to Republican. Two years later, Lafayette elected the conservativeAmerican conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
William Dudley "Dud" Lastrapes, Jr.
Dud Lastrapes
William Dudley "Dud" Lastrapes, Jr. , is a Lafayette, businessman, who was the first Republican since Reconstruction to have been elected mayor of his city, the fourth largest in Louisiana, according to the 2000 census. Lastrapes was mayor for three terms, having served from 1980-1992. Previously,...
, as the city's first Republican mayor since Reconstruction. Lastrapes served from 1980–1992, when the office reverted to Democratic occupancy. Durel hence reclaimed for his party the mayoralty-parish presidency, combined as a result of a popular referendum.
The election of 2003
The position of City-County Parish President is term limited – a maximum of three four-year terms. Incumbent President Walter Comeaux, a Democrat, declined to seek a third term, and supported fellow Democrat Glenn M. Weber in the election, which was run under Louisiana's unusual jungle primaryJungle primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for elected office run in the same primary regardless of political party. Under this system, the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the next round, as in a runoff election...
, held on October 4, 2003.
Durel (the only Republican in the field) led the jungle primary with 41 percent of the vote, compared to 29 percent for Weber and 19 percent for Floyd Domingue (also Democrat, and a land man; one who obtains land for oil drilling rights), received 19 percent of the ballots. Three lesser candidates divided the remaining 11 percent.
Durel and Weber hence went into the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
held on November 15. Durel won with 34,806 votes (52 percent) to Weber's 32,113 (48 percent). The mayor-presidency vote mirrored the gubernatorial totals in Lafayette Parish. Republican Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
received 34,951 votes (52 percent) to Democrat Kathleen Babineaux Blanco's 32,734 (48 percent). Blanco won the governorship but lost her home parish of Lafayette. Durel trailed Jindal by only 145 votes in the parish, and Weber trailed Blanco by 621 ballots. On the surface, there appeared to have been relatively little ticket-splitting in the two Lafayette Parish races. After his defeat, Weber became the director of the Lafayette Association of Retarded Citizens.
Asked how he won the mayor-presidency as a candidate without previous experience, Durel said: "Having never run for political office, it was a new experience. It was a total family effort in the decision to run and in the race itself. . . . The decision was not easy given the perception (and a little reality) of politics in Louisiana. Our attitude was to become part of the solution; so if we didn't get involved, we had no one to blame but ourselves. It also took the support of the many great people in our community that wanted nothing more than to see Lafayette be given the opportunity to grow and to prosper."
After succeeding to office with no opposition, Durel's second term continues to one of progress for the city and parish of Lafayette. With strong support from all facets of the community, Durel is able to move forward thinking initiatives to reality. He has been awarded the Distinguished Citizen Award by the Boy Scouts and has won national awards and recognition for his Fiber To The Home initiative. The Independent Weekly has praised Durel for his visionary leadership because of his support of the Arts and Cultural community in Lafayette. In an editorial dated August 4, 2010, Walter Pierce said that he has trouble praising politicians and especially Republican politicians, but that Durel has earned it. This was a result of his support of the arts and primarily because of his efforts to preserve 100 acres in the center of Lafayette for a passive park that would be enjoyed for generations to come. See the entire article at http://www.theind.com/re/6689-our-new-old-chief-exec.
CEO of the Year
The 2010 Acadiana To 50 Companies Business Business Luncheon was held at the Lafayette Cajundome and Convention Center, where the top businesses in region were honored. In a surprise move, the CEO of the Year was awarded to City-Parish President, Joey Durel. This event is hosted by the Independent Weekly which has both criticized and praised Durel over the years. It was stated that he doesn't need his ego stroked and has taken courageous and visionary steps in moving Lafayette forward. An obviously surprised Durel gave credit to the business community stating that the success his administration has achieved was simply a reflection of the strong and vibrant business community in attendance at the luncheon.2nd Term Controversy
Joey Durel has come under increasing scrutiny by his constituents since his unopposed reelection. Durel has faced much criticism for the part he played in letting Allied Waste submit an increased no-bid contract for trash pickup in Lafayette a full two years before the old lower-priced contract expired[1][2].Durel continues to be criticized for his role in helping Redflex, the Australian speed camera company, in placing their speed cameras and speed vans into Lafayette.[3][4]. Many saw a conflict when the commissioned Redflex regional sales manager was Charles Buckles[5], the former Vice Chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana [6]. LegiStorm reported that his daughter Nicole and son-in-law Thomas Hebert both work for fellow Republican Louisiana Senator David Vitter [7].
On September 23, 2009, The Independent Weekly published a story "A Question of Leadership," which reported that some of Durel's "close friends and advisers [are now] wondering if he’s up to the vexing challenges facing city-parish government."[8]
In September 2010, Joey Durel removed sitting members of the Lafayette Housing Authority (LHA) before a hearing to decide the members fate on the board was completed. For his actions, Durel was nearly charged with contempt of court [9] by Fifteenth Judicial District Court Judge Edward Rubin. The LHA board members that Durel dismissed were later re-instated by Judge Rubin [10] in a decision critical of Durel's excessive influence over the process.
Joey Durel also champions the creation of more Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts [11] in the Lafayette area, such as the now defunct plan to fund Parc Lafayette with additional site-specific sales taxes. The TEA party of Lafayette has actively opposed additional use of TIF's in the Lafayette area without first heading to a ballot for voter approval. Joey Durel has fought them at every turn.
In August of 2011, Joey Durel submitted a budget utilizing Redflex red light camera revenues of $1.3 million in order to overcome a government revenue shortfall [12]. This was in spite of a local law stating that all red light camera revenue be used for improved traffic safety projects. The red light camera revenue will be used to pay for government salaries, health care, and operating expenses in the city's Traffic and Transportation Department.