The Crescent Soil and Water Conservation District June 14th, 2025 Election

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE— June 15, 2025
Media Contact: Samantha Fleurinor
New Orleans Food Policy Council
samantha@nolafoodpolicy.org

On behalf of New Orleans Food Policy Council, the official advisory body to the New Orleans City Council on matters of food access and agriculture, I am sending a huge thanks to everyone who went out to vote in the Crescent Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors election. Many of you got up early, waited in long lines, and drove to multiple polling locations until you could secure your vote.

This election process was less than ideal. The process and system that built it failed. Your scrutiny of and frustration with the election are valid. We encourage you to continue to ask questions about the who, what, where, and how of this process. And we invite you to do this in the service of transparency and seeking solutions that result in a process where everyone can easily and accessibly participate.

Here are the technical realities of this election as we understand them: In the 100 years of this office’s existence in the state, this was the 7th election of its kind in the state’s history and the 1st one in this district. It was also the only one in an urban center or multi-parish with a large voter population. These elections are built to be run in districts with smaller populations, not city centers. Typically, open seats for these positions are uncontested. Potential candidates nominate themselves and are given the seat because there is no challenger. For this election, the entire election infrastructure and process had to be cobbled together by volunteers in a month. Such a process will come with gaps and challenges. Thankfully, challenges create opportunities to learn and do better.

Opportunity one: This election brought attention to an effectively unknown public entity. We can continue to learn about the possibilities and responsibilities that a SWCD holds for conserving our natural resources in our district. Part of our role moving forward at FPC is to continue to educate the wider district on the history, significance, and importance of SWCD.

Opportunity two: More attention brings more transparency. There is an opportunity for us to support the board of supervisors by making our priorities and expectations for the conservation of our natural resources known and participating in processes together.

Opportunity three: We reviewed the Soil and Water Conservation Commission rules that guide these elections and saw that the process laid out yesterday technically follows those rules. We also know that if people could not vote, that’s an entirely unacceptable situation. If both things are simultaneously true, then we have a clear opportunity to reform these elections in the future and make them equitable and fair.

We are eager to assist in improving this process moving forward. As an organization, we are here to convene residents to share their voices. We will be talking to the farmers and fishers of the district to support them in shaping these elections. We ask those of you who are fired up to direct this energy towards even more civic participation. Let’s allow the election results to be announced in a timely manner and be digested by the candidates and the board before calling for recounts or re-dos.

We look forward to hearing the official election results, which will likely be released next week. They have been sent to the state to certify and must be approved by the commission in their next meeting before public release. Thank you again for your participation and attention to this election. We look forward to working and learning alongside each of you.

For more information or to get involved, visit www.louisianafoodpolicy.org.