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→An extended term as mayor
Under Lanier, the decision was made to route the north-south Interstate 49 through downtown Alexandria instead of twenty miles to the west, as many had presumed would have been the better location from an engineering standpoint. The revised Jackson Street Bridge atop the Red River proceeded under Lanier. It is named for the late [[U.S. Representative]] [[Gillis Long]] of Alexandria. Lanier supported the construction of the performing arts center downtown, named for civic figure [[F. Hugh Coughlin]], which was not completed until the administration of later Mayor [[Ned Randolph]].<ref name=lanier/>
Under Lanier, the decision was made to route the north-south Interstate 49 through downtown Alexandria instead of twenty miles to the west, as many had presumed would have been the better location from an engineering standpoint. The revised Jackson Street Bridge atop the Red River proceeded under Lanier. It is named for the late [[U.S. Representative]] [[Gillis Long]] of Alexandria. Lanier supported the construction of the performing arts center downtown, named for civic figure [[F. Hugh Coughlin]], which was not completed until the administration of later Mayor [[Ned Randolph]].<ref name=lanier/>
Lanier supported the building of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Center and the Bolton Community Center. He worked to pave forty-five streets in the [[African-American]] community. Under Lanier, the first black firefighters and the first female bus drivers were hired.<ref name=lanier/>
Lanier supported the building of the [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]], Center and the Bolton Community Center. He worked to pave forty-five streets in the [[African-American]] community. Under Lanier, the first black firefighters and the first female bus drivers were hired.<ref name=lanier/>
In time, however, voters again soured on Lanier. Economic difficulties dominated local, state, and national news in 1982, and Alexandria was hard-hit by the [[petroleum]] slump. Faced with declining city revenues, utility rates crept upward again. Lanier imposed a hiring freeze on new city employees. He further ordered the 923 city employees to work only thirty-two hours per week, instead of the customary forty hours, with a one-fifth cut in gross pay. The proposed work reduction was, however, struck down as an abuse of mayoral authority by 9th Judicial District Court Judge [[William A. Culpepper]]. Lanier particularly angered sanitation workers when he declared that their pace of work was too slow and threatened to privatize the department unless their overall efficiency improved.
In time, however, voters again soured on Lanier. Economic difficulties dominated local, state, and national news in 1982, and Alexandria was hard-hit by the [[petroleum]] slump. Faced with declining city revenues, utility rates crept upward again. Lanier imposed a hiring freeze on new city employees. He further ordered the 923 city employees to work only thirty-two hours per week, instead of the customary forty hours, with a one-fifth cut in gross pay. The proposed work reduction was, however, struck down as an abuse of mayoral authority by 9th Judicial District Court Judge [[William A. Culpepper]]. Lanier particularly angered sanitation workers when he declared that their pace of work was too slow and threatened to privatize the department unless their overall efficiency improved.