Changes

Deslatte was unable to work with the city council and resigned as mayor after less than two years into his term. He said that the political pressure was too much to make the job worth keeping. The council then appointed an [[African American]] council member, [[Clarence Fields]] as interim mayor to succeed Deslatte.<ref>''Alexandria Daily Town Talk,'' December 10, 1999.</ref> Fields, hence the first black mayor of Pineville, was then elected to a partial term in 2000,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/10072000/10072000_40.html|title=Election Results|date=October 7, 2000|publisher=[[Louisiana Secretary of State]]|accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> a full term in 2002 and reelected again without opposition in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018. Baden announced that he would oppose Fields for the partial term in 2000 but subsequently withdrew from consideration,<ref name=adtt/> and George Hearn instead ran unsuccessfully for mayor that year against Fields.​

Deslatte was unable to work with the city council and resigned as mayor after less than two years into his term. He said that the political pressure was too much to make the job worth keeping. The council then appointed an [[African American]] council member, [[Clarence Fields]] as interim mayor to succeed Deslatte.<ref>''Alexandria Daily Town Talk,'' December 10, 1999.</ref> Fields, hence the first black mayor of Pineville, was then elected to a partial term in 2000,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/10072000/10072000_40.html|title=Election Results|date=October 7, 2000|publisher=[[Louisiana Secretary of State]]|accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> a full term in 2002 and reelected again without opposition in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018. Baden announced that he would oppose Fields for the partial term in 2000 but subsequently withdrew from consideration,<ref name=adtt/> and George Hearn instead ran unsuccessfully for mayor that year against Fields.​

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==Baden's legacy==​

==Death and legacy==​

Baden died at the age of seventy-five, several days after having been admitted to Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria. He was on life support as a result of a fall at his home.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=thetowntalk&sParam=32326739.story|title=Former Pineville Mayor Fred Baden dies|date=December 17, 2009|publisher=content.usa.today.net|accessdate=December 18, 2009}}</ref> Services were held on December 19, 2009, at the First Baptist Church of Pineville, located across the street from Pineville City Hall. He is interred at Mt. Olivet Cemetery Pineville, also the resting place of his parents and namesake son, Fred Baden, II.<ref name=mtolivet/><ref name=obit/><ref name=fbadenjr/>​

Baden died at the age of seventy-five, several days after having been admitted to Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria. He was on life support as a result of a fall at his home.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=thetowntalk&sParam=32326739.story|title=Former Pineville Mayor Fred Baden dies|date=December 17, 2009|publisher=content.usa.today.net|accessdate=December 18, 2009}}</ref> Services were held on December 19, 2009, at the First Baptist Church of Pineville, located across the street from Pineville City Hall. He is interred at Mt. Olivet Cemetery Pineville, also the resting place of his parents and namesake son, Fred Baden, II.<ref name=mtolivet/><ref name=obit/><ref name=fbadenjr/>​

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