Beadle defeats Weary in parish council runoff

Gabriel Beadle defeated Reginald Weary in a runoff Saturday for the St. Mary Parish Council District 10, at-large seat, according to unofficial but complete election results.
Beadle, R-Berwick, received 62 percent of the vote, 4,128 votes; while Weary, D-Patterson, got 38 percent, 2,534 votes.

The race was a special election to fill an open seat on the parish council. All voters in St. Mary Parish were eligible to vote in the runoff, though the actual district covers half of Berwick, extending west to Centerville and also includes Four Corners. Beadle has served on the parish council representing District 6, which includes about half of Morgan City and most of Berwick, since January 2016.

Beadle and Weary were the top vote-getters in a March 25 primary special election to replace former Councilman Steve Bierhorst, who stepped down in September 2016 due to health reasons. Pam Washington replaced Bierhorst on the council until the election. The remainder of Bierhorst's term lasts through January 2020.

Voters from the Centerville to Patterson areas approved a millage proposition to levy an 8.6-mill property tax for 10 years for the newly created Water and Sewer Commission 3 with 56 percent, or 378 voters, voting in favor of the proposal, and 44 percent, or 293 voters, voting against it.The parish council formed the commission in September 2016 by consolidating Waterworks District 5 and Sewer Districts 5 and 8 into one commission.

Bayou Vista voters also passed a 10-year, 5-mill property tax renewal for Fire Protection District 7 by a vote of 77 percent, 377 votes for, and 23 percent, 113 votes against.