Mike Harper for Mayor of DeRidder
ABOUT
I ask that you consider me as your candidate to be the Mayor of our City of DeRidder.
I currently serve you as a Beauregard Parish Official with some notable success that will positively improve your Family's future.
I continue to work toward improved relations between the Parish Government and the City Government and continually work to improve our reputation with our neighboring cities, parishes and state level relations.
I was appointed by the Federal Government as a board member for Kisatchie National Forest where we improved trails and camping facilities while maintaining the existing facilities. This work was conducted under the Federal Government through the Secure Rural Schools Act. As an American Red Cross volunteer, I was involved in 2 Flood situations and 1 Evacuation Shelter of Hurricane Lily evacuees.
I was involved in the disaster recovery operations with Hurricane Katrina victims and 1 month later, we experienced our own disaster with Hurricane Rita.
On this site, you will find my past experiences, what I have recently worked on and my plans for our future.
As you view this website, I believe that you will see that I have maintained drive and determination throughout my service to you.
I have a Plan for our Future !
This plan includes improving the area (not only DeRidder), Implementing our own Traffic Planning,
I will propose street improvement programs to better serve the taxpayers. The neighborhoods will decide what best suits their needs.
We will not attract Quality Retail until we create "Family Supporting" income to circulate into the local Economy.
Every year, local residents take their money to other cities to shop simply due to the fact that there is not enough local market to sustain growth of business. Creation of local Quality careers will assist our economy to provide sustained growth.
I want you to have "Family Supporting" careers in this area.
Too often our bright graduates must move away to have meaningful careers. This loss of local value has been among our greatest failures.
I have already been involved the process of attracting new job creators to this area. I want to give local families the ability to raise their families here rather than having to move away to have Quality, "Family Supporting" careers.
Until 2017, attracting job creation was left up to a Lake Charles office.
I have been involved in hiring our own Economic Developer and I will soon be a Certified Economic Developer.
For decades, local leaders were not actively seeking job creators. I have been involved in continually searching for local career creation. I plan to continue this effort.