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|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] (1961)​

|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] (1961)​

|religion=[[Southern Baptist]]

|religion=[[Southern Baptist]]

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'''Billy James Guin, Sr.''' (born November 14, 1927),<ref name=vitalstats>{{cite web|url=http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/elpaso/vitals/births/1927/elpdhb27.txt​

'''Billy James Guin, Sr.''' (born November 14, 1927),<ref name=vitalstats>{{cite web|url=http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/elpaso/vitals/births/1927/elpdhb27.txt​

|title=Billy James Guin|publisher=files.usgwarchives.net|accessdate=July 24, 2014}}</ref> is a retired [[business]]man and [[engineer]] from [[Shreveport]], [[Louisiana]], who was from 1977 to 1978 his city's last public utilities commissioner under the former commission system of municipal government.<ref>In [[Shreveport]] and in other cities with the commission form of government, the commissioner exercises both legislative and executive duties, on the five-member city council itself and as a department head. This position should not be confused with a county commissioner, most of whom were and still are elected by single-member districts. County commissioners are the "legislators" of a county (called parish in Louisiana), with the county judge normally in the role of the "executive" head of the county. In Louisiana, the executive of the parish can be the police jury president, the president of the parish, or a parish "administrator", depending on the structure of the parish government. City commissioners could not be chosen on a district basis, as their administrative duties affected the entire city. [[African American]]s were not then elected to city government in most parts of the Southern United States. Soon an outcry in the [[civil rights]] movement raised legal challenges to the city commission governments, and many were struck down as unconstitutional, including the Shreveport commission in a 1978 court case.</ref> Since 1961, Guin has been involved in the development of the Louisiana [[Republican Party]] to majority status in his state. In 1964, he and two others became the first members of their party ever elected to the Caddo Parish School Board and served a single six-year term.<ref name=zoominfo/>​

|title=Billy James Guin|publisher=files.usgwarchives.net|accessdate=July 24, 2014}}</ref> is a retired [[business]]man and [[engineer]] from [[Shreveport]], [[Louisiana]], who from 1977 to 1978 was his city's last public utilities commissioner under the former commission system of municipal government.<ref>In [[Shreveport]] and in other cities with the commission form of government, the commissioner exercises both legislative and executive duties, on the five-member city council itself and as a department head. This position should not be confused with a county commissioner, most of whom were and still are elected by single-member districts. County commissioners are the "legislators" of a county (called parish in Louisiana), with the county judge normally in the role of the "executive" head of the county. In Louisiana, the executive of the parish can be the police jury president, the president of the parish, or a parish "administrator", depending on the structure of the parish government. City commissioners could not be chosen on a district basis, as their administrative duties affected the entire city. [[African American]]s were not then elected to city government in most parts of the Southern United States. Soon an outcry in the [[civil rights]] movement raised legal challenges to the city commission governments, and many were struck down as unconstitutional, including the Shreveport commission in a 1978 court case.</ref> Since 1961, Guin has been involved in the development of the Louisiana [[Republican Party]] to majority status in his state. In 1964, he and two others became the first members of their party ever elected to the Caddo Parish School Board and served a single six-year term.<ref name=zoominfo/>​

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==Background==​

==Background==​

Once on the board, Guin argued against reducing the number of members, a position advocated by board president and later state legislator Don W. Williamson] Guin contended that smaller boards augment the power of [[interest group]]s. While the larger membership can be cumbersome and cause longer meetings, Guin said that more members insure that the overall well-being of the community is served, rather than organized vocal minorities.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "The Williamsons of Caddo Parish: A Political 'Mini-Dynasty", ''[[North Louisiana History]]'', Winter 2008, p. 35.</ref>​

Once on the board, Guin argued against reducing the number of members, a position advocated by board president and later state legislator Don W. Williamson] Guin contended that smaller boards augment the power of [[interest group]]s. While the larger membership can be cumbersome and cause longer meetings, Guin said that more members insure that the overall well-being of the community is served, rather than organized vocal minorities.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "The Williamsons of Caddo Parish: A Political 'Mini-Dynasty", ''[[North Louisiana History]]'', Winter 2008, p. 35.</ref>​

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===Public utilities commissioner===​

===Public utilities commissioner===​