3 minute read
Community Leader
MY TOWN MAYOR JEAN PELLOAT
When Jean Pelloat was elected to the office of mayor in Madisonville six years ago, he held the distinction of being the first new mayor the town had seen in 40 years—and his re-election four years later subsequently proved that everyone knew he was the right man for the job.
BY LIESEL SCHMIDT
Born and raised in Madisonville, Mayor Pelloat is clearly a man who loves his town, having also raised his own family here. Prior to becoming mayor, he spent 43 years working in the insurance industry, and 28 of those years were also spent serving on the Town Council. “Becoming mayor was a natural progression from there, as I have always wanted to preserve and protect my hometown,” says Mayor Pelloat.
As much as he has enjoyed his life in the political sphere, it has admittedly had some challenging points. “My political career really has been wonderful,” says Mayor Pelloat, who ran on the Independent ticket. “It started off a little rocky, but everything has a lesson in it, and I think it enabled me to better serve the town and its people. I never was really interested in politics per say, but I have always wanted to make a difference in my community, regardless of the job title.” Growth is also at the top of his priority list, but not at the expense of everything that makes Madisonville so distinctly Madisonville. “My goals while in office are to keep moving Madisonville forward by improving infrastructure and beautifying our community,” he says. “I have a great desire to help this town grow, while still preserving and protecting the charm and character that make it so special.”
Over his past six years in office, Mayor Pelloat has accomplished a great many things, including rebuilding the boat launch and adding the shelters down Lake Road, re-purposing the ballfield into a town park by adding a walking path and gazebo—with the hopes of also incorporating a splash pad and new playground equipment—as well as updating and improving the Employee Handbook and Emergency Operation Manual; obtaining ownership of the Madisonville Cemetery and a complete overhaul of the fence, entrance, gravesites and adding a sidewalk in front; and replacing all town signage to historical fixtures. “We have also received more grants for infrastructure and beautification in the six years I have been here in office than in the 20 years prior,” Mayor Pelloat asserts.
As much as he has achieved during his two terms, Mayor Pelloat still finds his greatest reward in the people he serves. “My greatest pride as mayor has been the overwhelming support I have received from the citizens of Madisonville as well as my peers all the way from my first election to now,” he says.
Even with such an outpouring of support and continued backing from the people of Madisonville, there have naturally been challenges that have arisen and tested the mettle of this particular mayor. The fact that he so deftly guided the town through some very unforeseeable dark days only proved that he was more than capable of being a great leader. “Between COVID, Hurricane Ida and now the price increases and supply shortages, I believe the Town Council and our town government have been constant sources of support for our citizens and other municipalities,” he says. “We never closed our offices during COVID, so we were open to accept payments and put our citizens at ease. After the hurricane, we immediately got to work picking up debris and helping the town return to its pre-hurricane state. We are suffering like everyone else with the shortages and price hikes, but we are working very hard to keep prices down for our people and keep up with the demand for utilities from the large amount of growth in our area.”
In his down time, Mayor Pelloat’s hobbies include working in his yard, golfing and watching his grandchildren play sports.
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