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'''Marvin Thomas Davis''', known as '''Tommy Davis''' (born September 29, 1942), is the former [[mayor]] of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]] in Webster Parish in northwestern [[Louisiana]]. Sworn into office on November 5, 2013,<ref name=swearingin>Tommy Davis sworn in as Minden's mayor", ''The Minden Press-Herald'', November 6, 2013, p. 1.</ref> he was elected to a full term on December 6, 2014.<ref name=reelection>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/12062014/12062014_60.html|title=Election results, December 6, 2014|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=December 6, 2014}}</ref>​

'''Marvin Thomas Davis''', known as '''Tommy Davis''' (born September 29, 1942), is the former [[mayor]] of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]] in Webster Parish in northwestern [[Louisiana]]. Sworn into office on November 5, 2013,<ref name=swearingin>Tommy Davis sworn in as Minden's mayor", ''The Minden Press-Herald'', November 6, 2013, p. 1.</ref> he was elected to a full term on December 6, 2014.<ref name=reelection>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/12062014/12062014_60.html|title=Election results, December 6, 2014|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=December 6, 2014}}</ref>​

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==2013 special mayoral election==​

==2013 special mayoral election==​

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The 2014 city budget under Davis included 2 percent raises for city workers and increased fees for some city services, which were passed along to the public: "I don't want to cry wolf, but with our revenue being flat and everything costing more than it used to, we're having to work hard to get a balanced budget. But I'm confident we will have one because we don't want to take it out of reserves."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/money/business/2014/08/16/minden-open-business/14173765/|title=Minden is 'open' for business|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|author=Vickie Welborn|date=August 16, 2014|accessdate=November 16, 2014}}</ref>​

The 2014 city budget under Davis included 2 percent raises for city workers and increased fees for some city services, which were passed along to the public: "I don't want to cry wolf, but with our revenue being flat and everything costing more than it used to, we're having to work hard to get a balanced budget. But I'm confident we will have one because we don't want to take it out of reserves."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/money/business/2014/08/16/minden-open-business/14173765/|title=Minden is 'open' for business|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|author=Vickie Welborn|date=August 16, 2014|accessdate=November 16, 2014}}</ref>​

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==Election of 2014==​

==Election of 2014==

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Davis is only the third Republican elected mayor of Minden since 1966, the others having been Arthur Thomas "Tom" Colten and [[Paul A. Brown]].<ref name=mayorlist/> The term extended for under fifteen months.<ref name=keel/> Davis ran again in the runoff election on December 6, 2014, for a full term as mayor. He faced a No-Party candidate, Charles Deck "Chad" Odom (born February 1975), who holds a Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies and Regional Planning with an emphasis in International Economic Development from the University of New Orleans.<ref name=whartontx/> In the November 4 primary, Davis led the three-candidate field with 2,045 votes (44.5 percent) to Odom's 1,467 (31.9 percent). In third place was former Mayor Joe Cornelius, Sr., the 2013 losing candidate, with 1,089 votes (23.7 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/11042014/11042014_60.html|title=Election Results for 11/4/2014|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=November 5, 2014}}</ref> Odom is the son of Webster Parish former Police Juror Charles D. Odom (born January 1951), an [[Independent voter|Independent]], and Pattie Lou Cook Odom (born October 1951), the Minden municipal downtown and economic development director who lost a race in 1991 as a Democratic candidate for state representative for Webster Parish. Odom's maternal grandfather was Harold Rae "Boe" Cook (1925-1997),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Cook&GSfn=H&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=20&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=89124069&df=all&|title=Harold Ray "Boe" Cook (1925-1997)|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=December 30, 2014}}</ref> the owner of and popular broadcaster for KASO radio in Minden. One of his great-grandfathers was S. P. D. Coyle, a former mayor of Cotton Valley north of Minden, who died in 1955.<ref>"Former Cotton Valley Mayor Dies at Age 97", ''Minden Press'', July 28, 1955, p. 1.</ref>​

Davis is only the third Republican elected mayor of Minden since 1966, the others having been Arthur Thomas "Tom" Colten and [[Paul A. Brown]].<ref name=mayorlist/> The term extended for under fifteen months.<ref name=keel/> Davis ran again in the runoff election on December 6, 2014, for a full term as mayor. He faced a No-Party candidate, Charles Deck "Chad" Odom (born February 1975), who holds a Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies and Regional Planning with an emphasis in International Economic Development from the University of New Orleans.<ref name=whartontx/> In the November 4 primary, Davis led the three-candidate field with 2,045 votes (44.5 percent) to Odom's 1,467 (31.9 percent). In third place was former Mayor Joe Cornelius, Sr., the 2013 losing candidate, with 1,089 votes (23.7 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/11042014/11042014_60.html|title=Election Results for 11/4/2014|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=November 5, 2014}}</ref> Odom is the son of Webster Parish former Police Juror Charles D. Odom (born January 1951), an [[Independent voter|Independent]], and Pattie Lou Cook Odom (born October 1951), the Minden municipal downtown and economic development director who lost a race in 1991 as a Democratic candidate for state representative for Webster Parish. Odom's maternal grandfather was Harold Rae "Boe" Cook (1925-1997),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Cook&GSfn=H&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=20&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=89124069&df=all&|title=Harold Ray "Boe" Cook (1925-1997)|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=December 30, 2014}}</ref> the owner of and popular broadcaster for KASO radio in Minden. One of his great-grandfathers was S. P. D. Coyle, a former mayor of Cotton Valley north of Minden, who died in 1955.<ref>"Former Cotton Valley Mayor Dies at Age 97", ''Minden Press'', July 28, 1955, p. 1.</ref>​

In August 2017, Mayor Davis announced that prints of two Ben Earl Looney paintings, the [[Louisiana State Capitol]] and the Pentagon Barracks in [[Baton Rouge]], would be displayed in the Cypress Room at Minden City Hall. Davis obtained both prints from Keith Ardoin, an art collector and a town council member in Krotz Springs in St. Landry Parish, whom he met at the Louisiana Municipal Association annual convention. Ardoin made the offer after learning about Looney's Minden background.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://press-herald.com/looney-prints-donated-to-city-of-minden/|title=Looney prints donated to City of Minden|publisher=''Minden Press-Herald''|date=August 24, 2017|author=Michelle Bates|accessdate=August 25, 2017}}</ref>​

In August 2017, Mayor Davis announced that prints of two Ben Earl Looney paintings, the [[Louisiana State Capitol]] and the Pentagon Barracks in [[Baton Rouge]], would be displayed in the Cypress Room at Minden City Hall. Davis obtained both prints from Keith Ardoin, an art collector and a town council member in Krotz Springs in St. Landry Parish, whom he met at the Louisiana Municipal Association annual convention. Ardoin made the offer after learning about Looney's Minden background.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://press-herald.com/looney-prints-donated-to-city-of-minden/|title=Looney prints donated to City of Minden|publisher=''Minden Press-Herald''|date=August 24, 2017|author=Michelle Bates|accessdate=August 25, 2017}}</ref>​

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On July 12, 2018, Davis gave welcoming remarks for the statewide conference of the African-American Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, which met at the Mt. Zion congregation in Minden for the installation of the Fourth Episcopal District bishop, C. James King, Jr., of [[Mississippi]]. Davis bestowed King with a key to the city. Of his initial impression of Minden, King said: "Minden is really nice – I've really liked the people I've met, and that's what it's really all about is the people. The people are very cordial, very friendly, and they welcomed us tremendously."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://press-herald.com/coming-together-in-minden/|title=Coming Together in Minden|author=Caleb Daniel|publisher=''The Minden Press-Herald''|date=July 13, 2018|accessdate=July 14, 2018}}</ref>​

On July 12, 2018, Davis gave welcoming remarks for the statewide conference of the African-American Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, which met at the Mt. Zion congregation in Minden for the installation of the Fourth Episcopal District bishop, C. James King, Jr., of [[Mississippi]]. Davis bestowed King with a key to the city. Of his initial impression of Minden, King said: "Minden is really nice – I've really liked the people I've met ... they welcomed us tremendously."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://press-herald.com/coming-together-in-minden/|title=Coming Together in Minden|author=Caleb Daniel|publisher=''The Minden Press-Herald''|date=July 13, 2018|accessdate=July 14, 2018}}</ref>​

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The city council approved Davis' last budget for 2018-2019 in the amount of $33.3 million. The mayor called the spending plan "a very tight budget this year. … We have scrubbed it very close. We still left in some big projects that need to be done, some equipment purchases, and some street projects that desperately need to be done. But there’s no fluff in it at all – it’s very, very tight.”<ref>{{cite web|url=http://press-herald.com/city-passes-44-2-million-budget/|title=City passes $33.3 million budget|publisher=''The Minen Press-Herald''|author=David Specht|date=September 5, 2018|accessdate=September 9, 2018}}</ref>​

The city council approved Davis' last budget for 2018-2019 in the amount of $33.3 million. The mayor called the spending plan "a very tight budget this year. … We have scrubbed it very close. We still left in some big projects that need to be done, some equipment purchases, and some street projects that desperately need to be done. But there’s no fluff in it at all – it’s very, very tight.”<ref>{{cite web|url=http://press-herald.com/city-passes-44-2-million-budget/|title=City passes $33.3 million budget|publisher=''The Minen Press-Herald''|author=David Specht|date=September 5, 2018|accessdate=September 9, 2018}}</ref>​

Davis is a long-term Minden businessman and [[real estate]] broker. He is a member of the First [[Southern Baptist|Baptist]] Church of Minden, as had been Mayor Robertson.​

Davis is a long-term Minden businessman and [[real estate]] broker. He is a member of the First [[Southern Baptist|Baptist]] Church of Minden, as had been Mayor Robertson.​

==References==​

==References==

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