LAFAYETTE PARISH — Monique Blanco Boulet made history in January 2024 when she was sworn in as Lafayette’s first female mayor-president. A year into office, Boulet reflects on the challenges and successes of her first year, which focused heavily on stabilizing the city-parish government.
Boulet, who defeated former mayor-president Josh Guillory, vowed to clean up the local government and restore its financial health.
She says her first months in office were spent addressing legal and financial issues.
“We had a lot of legal activity going in different directions. It was important to calm that down. Our legal fees were astronomical, and our financial situation was in shambles,” Boulet said.
One of Boulet’s primary goals was to restore Lafayette Consolidated Government’s (LCG) financial stability. According to Boulet, much progress has been made.
“We had a lot of situations that needed immediate attention, and that’s what the first few months were all about. Probably the first eight months were focused on stabilizing things, and then we saw progress,” Boulet added.
Boulet also spearheaded the reorganization of Lafayette’s Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness office, leading up to severe weather events in Acadiana.
“Being ready for Hurricane Francine was something we were really putting together as we went,” Boulet said. “Setting up a command center, getting all the agencies together in the same room, and having the same conversation — that was critical.”
In addition to disaster preparedness, Boulet has spent much of her first year overseeing infrastructure projects, including the renovation of Bertrand Drive and the completion of Brown Park.
Looking ahead to her second year in office, Boulet plans to focus on improving LCG’s organizational structure.
“In Year 2, we’re looking at all the employees, the organizational structure, what we’re doing, and how we’re doing it,” she said.
