Running for Office: Gonzales City Council

GONZALES — Joe Waguespack is seeking an eighth term on the Gonzales City Council.

Waguespack, a Republican who serves as the city’s mayor pro tem, qualified for the Nov. 6 election on Aug. 15. He was challenged for the seat by Democrat Timothy Vessel Sr.

The councilman said he is committed to maintaining a smart growth strategy for the city as it continues to seek new businesses and improve the quality of life for its residents.

“The city of Gonzales has changed a lot since I was first elected, but the one thing that has remained the same is good people — people that make our community the best place around to build a business or raise a family,” Waguespack said.

“In the last four years alone, we’ve invested $10.5 million on road improvements; opened a new, modern police headquarters; and spent $4.9 million on recreational improvements. I think we are doing the things that will continue to make Gonzales a great place to live. I know that in the next four years, I can help us do even more,” he added.

During his tenure on the council, Waguespack said, the city has seen the creation of thousands of new jobs, infrastructure improvements, and drainage and flood control solutions. A former baseball player at LSU, Waguespack said he has been committed to the city’s recreation ventures — including the opening of two new baseball parks, five soccer fields, 10 tennis courts and an Olympic-size swimming pool and water park.

“It makes me proud to see so many of our young people playing sports at our athletic facilities and to watch families enjoying the spray park and picnic facilities of Jambalaya Park,” Waguespack said. “It is important that our people have places in the community to get together, and I also believe that the principles and lessons that are taught to our children through athletics will make them better adults.”

A former officer in the Louisiana National Guard, Waguespack retired earlier in the summer from Louisiana Farm Bureau after spending 18 years in banking. He’s a lifelong Gonzales resident and past president of the Gonzales Rotary Club and Ascension Parish Chamber of Commerce.