Mayor
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Recent proposals, issues, and results
Updated: June 2, 2021
Disaster Response and Recovery Contractor
Resolution No. 21-18 – May 2021
The City Council approved Mayor Clay Madden’s pick for the city’s disaster response and recovery contractor at its May 27, 2021, meeting, despite a contentious back-and-forth between the mayor and District II Councilman Skelly Kreller.
The issue had been thoroughly debated and a vote had been deferred from the May 13, 2021, meeting because a majority on the council wanted more time to review the contract. But Kreller had missed that meeting. The May 27th meeting was Kreller’s first back since early April when he took a leave of absence to recover from a medical procedure, and he unloaded on Madden over the need for a contract or a plan.
Ultimately, the council voted 3-1 to authorize the mayor to enter the proposed contract with Richard C. Lambert Consultants LLC, with Kreller standing alone in opposition.
Analysis: A clear victory for Mayor Clay Madden. He seemed in greater command of the facts supporting his position compared to how he handled the director of administration debate, and he didn’t become rattled by the attack from District II Councilman Skelly Kreller the night of the vote. One could argue Madden secured the victory with his consistent messaging and his highly qualified choice of Lambert Consultants. Aside from Kreller, the only real complaint from the rest of the council was that they weren’t brought in earlier in the process, which Madden vowed to improve upon with future proposals. Grade: B+
Administration and Staff Restructuring Plan
Ordinance No. 21-08 – April 2021
The City Council voted down Mayor Clay Madden’s staff restructuring proposal at the regular City Council meeting on April 22, 2021, killing the idea of a director of administration post — for now — while giving the mayor a promise to work with him moving forward.
Madden introduced Ordinance No. 21-08, an administration and staff restructuring plan, at the March 25, 2021, meeting where the proposal meet initial resistance from some on the council.
At Madden’s request, the City Council voted to defer action on the proposal after contemptuous debate at the April 8, 2021, meeting. Madden asked for time to tweak the proposal after it met initial resistance.
Madden vowed to continue moving forward with “the tools that we have.”
Analysis: Embarrassing loss for Mayor Clay Madden. Those voting against the proposal, particularly Councilmen at Large Rick Danielson and Jason Zuckerman cited a lack of details and planning before bringing the issue to the City Council. Madden seemed “off” during his presentation to the council when the proposal was introduced to the public, certainly not up to the form that got him elected. Also, a certain vocal segment of the public didn’t like the term “Director of Administration” nor Trilby Lenfant, whom he had hoped to put into the DOA slot. In fairness to Madden, this seems to have had more to do with political grudges, particularly from the primary where he narrowly edged out Michael Blache by 12 votes, and less to do with the merits of the proposal itself. Grade: C-
Elected to office
Clay Madden pulled what many pundits described as a surprise victory over Lauré Sica in a close runoff election on August 15th, 2020, with a margin of victory of just 3.4% or 118 votes. Sica had led the field in the July 11th primary vote with 32.41% to Madden’s 29.32%. Madden only made the runoff by a thin margin of 12 votes over third-place finisher Michael Blache.
In his own words
Mandeville has much to offer both residents and visitors alike. We are blessed to have incredible schools and friendly neighborhoods, beautiful lakefront and bayous, parks, walking paths, biking trails, restaurants, and shopping for every taste.
I hope you find Mandeville as engaging and vibrant as I do. Our city government is continually vigilant in protecting our quality of life through maintaining and enhancing critical infrastructure, thoughtful planning, community public safety initiatives, and cultural development.
During the next four years I will be focused on the major issues you have identified as impacting your life here in Mandeville.
Priorities of the Mayor
- Preserve and protect the neighborhood livability and resident quality of life that make our city so special.
- Determine feasible solutions to protect our city and citizens from the impact of flooding
- Enhance our transportation infrastructure to move traffic efficiently and support a variety of safe options.
- Vigilance over fiscal and budgetary matters
- Maintain public safety in a way that respects all our citizens.
- Support of our Police Department and community policing initiatives
- Robust and consistent enforcement of our city codes
- Improved communications with citizens through updated website and use of technology
- Regularly scheduled grass cutting, and maintenance of city owned properties
- Follow through on recommendations of our upcoming operational and efficiency review
- Beautification efforts to enhance the environmental landscape of our city
Madden’s Background
- Mandeville City Council-at-Large (2012-2020)
- Graduate of LSU: Masters of Public Administration; B.A. in Political Science
- Graduate of Mandeville High School
- Office Solutions Sales Manager-Northshore Territory
- Homeowner in Old Golden Shores subdivision
- Lifelong Republican
- Graduate of Leadership St. Tammany
- Longtime member of the Exchange Club of West St. Tammany and the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce
- Past Board Member of the Council on Aging St. Tammany (COAST) and the Children’s Advocacy Center (Hope House)
- Lifelong member of St. Timothy’s United Methodist Church on the Northshore
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