SLS 15RS-571 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 25
BY SENATOR ERDEY AND REPRESENTATI VE POPE
COMMENDAT IONS. Commends Mayor James Durbin on his retirement as mayor of
Denham Springs.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To commend Mayor James Durbin on his retirement following twelve years as the mayor
3 of Denham Springs, Louisiana, and on his significant contributions to the growth and
4 development of the city.
5 WHEREAS, James Durbin served his community as a member of the Denham
6 Springs City Council, beginning with his election in 1989, and as the mayor of Denham
7 Springs, beginning with his election in 2002, serving three consecutive terms and retiring
8 at the end of his term at midnight on December 31, 2014, having chosen not to seek
9 reelection to a fourth term in 2014; and
10 WHEREAS, Mayor Durbin was born in 1947 to Erlo and Mildred Durbin, graduated
11 from Denham Springs High School in 1965, and continued his academic studies at Louisiana
12 State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics; and
13 WHEREAS, Mr. Durbin received his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola School of
14 Law and began practice as an attorney in Denham Springs in 1973; and
15 WHEREAS, Mayor Durbin has been married to Maurice Cockerham for thirty-two
16 years and the couple has raised two children, Bradley and Berkley, both of whom are
17 graduates of Louisiana State University and Tulane Law School; and
18 WHEREAS, Mr. Durbin began serving as mayor of Denham Springs in 2003,
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1 following his twelve years of service as a member of the city council and, considering
2 himself to be a "hands-on" mayor and administrator, he can, justifiably, be proud of the city's
3 residential growth, commercial expansion, infrastructure improvements, and quality-of-life
4 advancements that have taken place during his time as mayor; and
5 WHEREAS, Mayor Durbin led the city of Denham Springs, in cooperation with
6 federal and state funding sources, to complete important infrastructure projects, including
7 the building of an award-winning sewer treatment facility, the development of two new
8 water wells for the city, the expansion and improvement of both the water system and the
9 sewer system, and he was instrumental in obtaining federal funding for sidewalk
10 enhancement and lighting in the Historic Preservation District of the city; and
11 WHEREAS, with James Durbin as mayor, Denham Springs has benefitted from
12 numerous important highway and road improvement projects, including the Range Avenue
13 Corridor Bypass; the South Range Avenue/Interstate 12 project, which provided upgraded
14 access to the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World project; and the widening and enhancement of
15 Florida Boulevard from the Livingston Parish line to River Road, including the elevated
16 Amite River Bridge; and
17 WHEREAS, Mayor Durbin's administration managed to operate the city and provide
18 services during an unprecedented national recession while amassing a half-million dollar
19 surplus, and the city has received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial
20 Reporting, a recognition conferred by the Government Financial Officers Association of the
21 United States and Canada for thirteen consecutive years; and
22 WHEREAS, under the proactive leadership of Mayor Durbin, numerous economic
23 development projects were undertaken with many completed and continuing additional
24 projects, including development of a new "hotel row" on Rushing Road, bond funding and
25 a new sewerage district that opened new areas for both residential and commercial
26 development, development of Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World and a major shopping center
27 complex, new hotels, and Spring Park Plaza shopping center expansion with numerous retail
28 outlets involved; and
29 WHEREAS, with his return to private life, James Durbin's involvement in numerous
30 civic and quality-of-life endeavors will continue to benefit the citizens of Denham Springs
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1 and enrich their lives.
2 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
3 commend Mayor James Durbin on his retirement following twelve years as the mayor of
4 Denham Springs, Louisiana, and on his significant contributions to the growth and
5 development of that city.
6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
7 Mayor James Durbin of Denham Springs, Louisiana.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Mary Dozier O'Brien.
DIGEST
SCR 25 Original 2015 Regular Session Erdey
Commends Mayor James Durbin on his retirement following 12 years as the mayor of
Denham Springs, Louisiana, and on his significant contributions to the growth and
development of the city.
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