After 16 years as Gonzales mayor, Barney Arceneaux has stepped down to become the executive director for the Louisiana Municipal Association, a nonprofit that provides resources and lobbies for more than 300 municipalities across the state.
Arceneaux’s resignation is effective at the end of April, according to city officials.
“Serving this community has been the honor of a lifetime. I’m immensely proud of the work we have accomplished together and the foundation we have laid for the future of Gonzales,” Arceneaux says in a statement. “I am excited for the opportunity to bring my experience to the Louisiana Municipal Association, where I can work alongside leaders to bring prosperity to every community in Louisiana.”
Under Arceneaux’s leadership, Gonzales secured over $21 million in federal and state grants for recreational upgrades, land for a passenger rail station, and doubled the city’s water and sewer capacity. Arceneaux served as police chief of Gonzales for eight years before becoming mayor.
The Gonzales City Council will appoint an interim mayor who will fulfill the position until the 2024 mayoral election this fall. Municipal elections are on the Nov. 5 ballot with the presidential and congressional primaries.
