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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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| Name | Aaron F. Broussard |
| Address |
Kenner, Louisiana , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
January 06, 1949
(75 years)
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| Contributor | Some say... |
| Last Modifed | RBH
Nov 03, 2007 02:18am |
| Tags |
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| Info | Born in 1949 in Marksville, Louisiana, Aaron F. Broussard moved to Kenner in 1958. He graduated from East Jefferson High School in 1966, attended Louisiana State University, University of Southeastern Louisiana and then graduated from LSU of New Orleans with a BA in History in 1970. In 1973, he received a Law Degree from Loyola University.
In 1974, Aaron was elected to the Jefferson Parish School Board and re-elected in 1976 by 92% of the vote.
In 1977, he was elected as a District Chairman to the Jefferson Parish Council and then re-elected in 1981.
In 1982, he was elected Mayor of the City of Kenner. While serving as Mayor, the city experienced a boom in economic growth. In 1983 Rivertown, a collection of family-oriented museums was developed. The Esplanade Mall, one of the State's most successful shopping areas, was built in 1985 and in 1991 Mayor Broussard was the driving force in building the Pontchartrain Center; an all-purpose center that holds attractions such as conventions, sporting events, trade shows, graduations and Mardi Gras Balls. He was re-elected for a second term as Mayor by 91% of the vote in 1986, and re-elected in 1990. In 1994, he was unopposed in the election to serve as Kenner's Mayor for a fourth term.
In 1995, he was elected Chairman of the Jefferson Parish Council by 81% of the vote. As Chairman of the Jefferson Parish Council, he garnered public input on governmental proceedings in a first of its kind priorities conference entitled JEFF 2000.
Under Broussard's leadership as Council Chairman, the Parish has embarked on the most extensive capital improvement initiative in Jefferson's history; including the $245 million road improvement program as well as the $475 million, ongoing, Southeast Louisiana Flood Control Project (SELA).
Chairman Broussard was instrumental in establishing the Jefferson Office of Tourism and Tourism Advisory Board. He also served as Chairman of the Regional Planning Commission.
In 1999, Aaron was re-elected Council Chairman of Jefferson Parish without opposition.
In October 2003, Broussard was elected as Jefferson Parish President to serve a four-year term beginning January 2004. Within his first year of office, Broussard has already achieved a list of accomplishments including organizing a priorities conference, JEFF 007, to, once again, gain public input to streamline and consolidate various parish departments and services.
With a general fund crisis at hand, he developed a plan to rededicate funds to provide needed services in areas which were under funded or not funded at all. In November 2004, voters approved the plan allowing funding for economic development, senior citizen services, culture and parks and criminal justice.
Through his years in public service he has served on various committees and boards and has been awarded with many prestigious honors including President of the Louisiana Conference of Mayors and was recognized by the U. S. Conference of Mayors for his distinguished leadership in culture, arts and civic programs when the City of Kenner received the Livability Award and the National Association of Counties Award for his safety efforts. He was a United States Presidential appointee for Tourism.
In December 2000, Aaron received JEDCO Chairman's Award for the Year 2000 Champion of Economic Development. Aaron was elected President for the Louisiana Conference of Mayors for the years 2000 and 2001. In 2002, he was awarded with Legislator of the Year by the Alliance of Good Government.
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Aaron initiated Operation Lifeline to provide medical care and other services to neighborhoods throughout the parish and led recovery efforts including clearing roadways and restoring vital public services such as water, sewer and drainage. JumpStart Jefferson was put in place to help businesses reopen and to provide the necessary goods and services for the recovery.
He carried the message to Washington that the region needed 100-year Hurricane protection, including higher and armored levees, completion of all drainage projects under the SELA program, improved pumping capacity at the surge gate at the mouth of the 17th Street Canal, surge gates on the Harvey Canal and Company Canal on the West Bank and secure flood protection on the east side of the Harvey Canal. Well before Katrina, Aaron founded the award-winning organization PACE, Parishes Against Coastal Erosion, to find efficient, expedient methods to protect our coast, preserve our wildlife habitats, and breathe new life into our seafood industry.
Following Katrina, Aaron ordered a complete overhaul of Jefferson Parish's emergency disaster plan and oversaw the building of eight safe rooms to keep parish pump station operators safe and on the job even during the most severe hurricanes.
Under the Parish President's leadership, Jefferson Parish recovered quickly after Katrina and led the region's recovery effort. Over 4,000 net new businesses opened in Jefferson Parish and the parish led the nation in job growth in the year after Katrina.
In July of 2007, parish voters overwhelmingly approved an expansion of the use of the property tax dedicated to paying the parish's local match for federal SELA drainage projects to allow for surplus funds to be used for local drainage capital projects. This was another innovation to improve drainage and better protect the parish from tropical weather and everyday rainstorms without raising taxes.
On October, 2007, Aaron was re-elected to his second term as Parish President.
Aaron lives in Kenner with his wife Karen.
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