Forward Lafayette

07/26/2019

Y’all! How awesome was yesterday?! Thanks to all of the volunteers for making it happen, and thanks to the Lafayette community for being you. The love was certainly felt as this ride grows with each passing year. Thanks to BikeLafayette and The Wurst Biergarten for their support, and thanks to the Judice family for the amazing jambalaya.

Continue to be kind to your neighbor, and we’ll see y’all again next year!

12/07/2018

When Forward Lafayette formed, it did so as a response to saving something we knew many in our community cared about - bike lanes. And when we came together with one voice, local government heard and was responsive, and as of today we continue to have a safer route down West Bayou Parkway.

But our mission was always bigger than bike lanes. We believe there are many ways to move Lafayette Forward and have from the beginning. Forward Lafayette values civic engagement by citizens, government and community institutions; and this Saturday we have an opportunity to engage through the election process. Vote YES to (PW HRC Amendment Prop).

What is Fix The Charter: Fix the Charter is a nonpartisan campaign aimed at securing equal representation for the citizens of the city and parish of Lafayette.

Why is this happening: The amendments to the Lafayette City-Parish Charter will create separate councils for the city of Lafayette and the parish of Lafayette. These amendments will put the city of Lafayette back in charge of itself (restoring the link between taxation and representation), and it will also create an independent parish council, focused solely on parish issues and not distracted by city issues. It’s important to know that:

The Charter amendment will restore fair representation for all of Lafayette by giving every city in Lafayette Parish the autonomy they deserve

It will create a Parish Council to focus on pressing needs of the parish like drainage and roads

And it will create a City Council to focus on the needs of the City of Lafayette

It will not raise taxes, deconsolidate combined services, or affect term limits

https://fixthecharter.com/

When: Election Day is Saturday, December 8. Polls will be open from 7am to 8pm.

Thanks and feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns,

Mark deClouet

On December 8th, Lafayette Parish voter ballots will include a proposal to amend the Lafayette City-Parish Charter, creating dedicated councils for the City and Parish. This will ensure “City issues” and “Parish issues” are decided by elected representatives accountable to the people they go...

07/12/2018

Thanks to all of you who joined us in celebrating two beautiful lives tonight. This community is why we love Lafayette.

07/12/2018

Thank you for braving the elements this evening! More pics to come.

07/11/2018

Hey y'all! Todays the day, and it's looking like the weather is going to cooperate. A couple of reminders:

1) Ride starts at 6:00, so show up for 5:45 at Rotary Point on West Bayou Parkway.

2) TRAIL will be providing free bike rentals. Limited supply, so first come first serve. If memory serves me correctly they rented out their supply by 5:45 last year. Bring ID and credit card (for deposit, not to be charged unless damages or not returned).

3) The loop is 8 miles. There will be a couple of rest areas along the route, where water will be supplied.

4) For those not wanting to brave the entire 8 miles (and looking to avoid Johnston), there will be a shorter route of just under 4 miles. The shorter route is the same as the long one (starting at West Bayou and heading toward Roselawn); however, it will turnaround at the Johnston/Roselawn Intersection and return to Rotary Point along the same route. Essentially an out-and-back.

5) Lastly, there will be free Jambalaya for those completing the ride! Thank you to the Judice family, who we are happy to partner with in celebrating the life of Jean Paul.

Have a good day, and see you at Rotary Point.

07/10/2018

Sent this message out via email yesterday. As you get ready for tomorrow's ride, know that tonight's Council meeting includes a very important first step for Lafayette:

Tomorrow, we will send an email with all the details regarding the 3rd Annual Mickey’s Ride, but today, there is something more time-sensitive to share.

Forward Lafayette is committed to communicating about and advocating for initiatives and policies that will help our city thrive. There is one such issue that is about to be considered by the City-Parish Council, and we wanted to make sure to share it with you.

This Tuesday night, there is an item on the City-Parish Council that would amend our government’s charter to provide for a City Council for Lafayette. We ask that you educate yourself about this proposal.

Some of the reasons why we think those who care about Forward Lafayette would care about this:

- Giving city of Lafayette taxpayers their own city council will help ensure that city tax dollars are spent properly.
- A dedicated parish council will be able to focus solely on the issues that face all of us, as parish voters. That’s what fixing the charter is all about - establish two councils, but keep consolidation.
- A separate City of Lafayette Council would be responsible for city tax dollars and make sure they are spent in accordance with city of Lafayette’s priorities. (And if they don’t, city of Lafayette voters can hold them accountable.) But under our current system, council members who represent very few city of Lafayette constituents can decide, over the objections of council members who represent large numbers of city of Lafayette residents, how to spend city of Lafayette taxes or set utility rates for LUS customers.
- Everyone deserves their own council representative. That includes all parish residents of course. A separate parish council would be able to focus on the issues at stake across the parish, like drainage and road priorities.

If you’re inspired, write your council member today, in advance of Tuesday night’s council meeting, and ask them to support the introduction of the ordinance placing this fix to the city-parish charter on the ballot for December. If the proposal is successfully introduced Tuesday, it will be finally adopted on July 24th, the on the ballot on December 8. They want to hear from you!

Here are the addresses of the City-Parish Council members:

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

For more information you an http://fixthecharter.com or check us out on Facebook here.

And we’ll be back with information about Wednesday’s ride tomorrow.

Ensure equal representation for all Lafayette residents.

07/10/2018

A little media blitz in prep for our ride tomorrow. We're looking forward to seeing you all out there, celebrating the lives of JeanPaul Judice and Mickey Shunick.

HomeFocus On Family Forward Lafayette Honors JeanPaul Judice During Third Annual Mickey’s Ride July 9th, 2018 jangelle Focus On Community, Focus On Family, Lafayette, News, News 15 Today Lafayette, LA – Forward Lafayette announced details for the Third Annual Mickey Shunick Memorial Bike Ride. T...

11/27/2017

Great job with the vote last week y'all, and what a sigh of relief!! We hope you enjoyed some down time with family/friends for Thanksgiving, and were able to reflect on the results of your activism. If you're like us, you're probably asking "what's next?"

If you’re like us, you breathed a sigh of relief after last Saturday’s successful tax rededication. After a month of misinformation, common sense prevailed. That’s an encouraging, important step fo…

11/18/2017

There’s still time to vote and take that step forward, Lafayette!
Please share! 🗳 🇺🇸👍🏽

11/17/2017

A Step Forward: Vote Yes this Saturday

There is a tax election Saturday in Lafayette, and depending on who you listen to, a “yes” vote will bring about a range of terrible consequences—from encouraging short-sighted government waste to …