Fred Baden - Mayoral Service

Mayoral Service

As a councilman, Baden often clashed with Mayor Floyd W. Smith, Jr. (1932–2010), who did not seek a second term but instead ran successfully in 1970 for councilman at-large, a position that he soon vacated in order to run for the Louisiana State Senate. Smith was elected mayor in 1966, when he upset fellow Democrat P. Elmo Futrell, Jr., a Pineville real estate appraiser.

A Baptist, Baden was particularly known for his opposition to the sale of alcoholic beverages in historically prohibitionist Pineville, the home of Louisiana College. He once closed Buhlow Lake in Pineville to boat races because of alcohol consumption on the premises.

During Baden's tenure, Pineville constructed a municipal center that houses City Hall, the police department, municipal court, and a central fire station located behind the complex. Pineville also built additional fire stations, a recreation center, and expanded and improved its streets. Baden and the city council worked to develop an apartment complex for the elderly located on Louisiana Highway 28 East. He and the late U.S. Representative Gillis William Long moved to purchase the former Pineville Post Office on Main Street for use as a senor citizens center. Baden, as mayor, often did free plumbing work for disadvantaged senior citizens.

Despite the improvements, the Pineville population remained relatively constant during his 28-year tenure as mayor—in the range of 12,000 to 13,000. Much of the area growth occurred outside the city limits.

Baden was an original member of the Rapides Area Planning Commission and served on the Salvation Army Board, the Louisiana College Board of Development, and the Rapides Parish Solid Waste Committee. He was also active in the Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce, the Rapides Senior Citizens Board, the Renaissance Board for Youth, and Louisiana Municipal Association, of which he served three terms as vice president. Baden received the Hometown Leadership Award which recognizes elected local officials for exemplary leadership. He was honored with the Distinguished Service Award by the Louisiana College trustees. The Louisiana National Guard presented him with its "Commendation Award". In 2001, the Rapides Parish Police Jury appointed Baden to fill an unexpired term on the Esler Industrial Development Area Advisory Board. The appointment ended on January 8, 2006.

Baden worked with L. B. Henry of Pineville, long-term police jury president, in upgrading the infrastructure and procuring sewerage service to the outlying Wardville and Lee Heights areas. Baden and Henry also came to terms for the establishment of an animal shelter for both Pineville and the parish. Like Baden, Henry was a plumber by trade.

Among the many city council members during the Baden years was the Louisiana College psychology professor George E. Hearn, a Democrat, and Christian D. Cunningham, a Republican who defeated Hearn for reelection in 1990.