ALEXANDRIA, La. (5/7/2026) — Mayor Jacques Roy defended his veto of a City Council move involving the Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority (GAEDA) during a lengthy Wednesday briefing that mixed economic development, politics, transparency concerns, and criticism of recent council actions.
The briefing came after the Alexandria City Council failed to override Roy’s veto of an ordinance tied to the city’s agreement with GAEDA.
One of the biggest moments came from Council President Cynthia Perry, who had previously voted to end the agreement, but later voted against overriding Roy’s veto, a move that proved decisive in preserving the agreement.
During the briefing, Roy praised Perry for her vote.
“What I saw yesterday was true leadership,” Roy said. “I saw courage and discernment.”
“Vain and Useless Acts”
Roy also defended portions of the strong language used in his earlier veto message, where he described some council actions as “vain and useless acts.”
“The veto was over vain and useless acts that led to another vain and useless act,” Roy said.
Roy argued the council could not legally undo an agreement that had already been signed and partially carried out.
“An ordinance passed to undo that is a vain and useless ordinance, because it can’t accomplish undoing the written contract,” Roy said.
At the same time, the mayor tried to ease tensions with council members, saying his frustrations were “not directed at all members of the council.”
Much of the briefing focused on REIGNITE, the administration’s redevelopment plan centered around Alexandria Mall and the Masonic Drive corridor.
Roy said the city is not trying to buy or operate Alexandria Mall, but instead wants to improve infrastructure and work with private developers to bring new investment to the area.
“The city is not offering to buy the mall. The city is not offering to run the mall.” Roy also said, “The city is looking at all the infrastructure around the mall.”
The mayor said REIGNITE could include:
- redevelopment around Alexandria Mall,
- improvements at Brinhurst Golf Course,
- zoo expansion projects,
- healthcare corridor growth,
- and partnerships involving LSUA, CLTCC, Cabrini Hospital, and private investors.
Strongly Defended
Roy strongly defended public-private partnerships and economic development incentives, saying projects must provide public value and measurable returns for taxpayers.
He also pointed to what he called positive signs in Alexandria’s economy, including growth in auto sales, hotels, tourism, recreation, and healthcare investment.
“The biggest data point that I think you should think about is the growth of what I would call auto sales and auto sales dealership growth,” Roy said.
The briefing also touched on transparency concerns.
Roy said city officials sometimes cannot publicly identify investors or discuss projects too early because doing so could scare businesses away.
“We deal with those leads and we try to be professional,” Roy said. “If you say that we’re looking at you, we’re not coming.”
Still, critics have questioned whether the public receives enough information about development negotiations involving taxpayer-supported projects and public-private partnerships.
Roy also alleged that elected officials have faced threats and political pressure connected to controversial votes and development disputes.
“There’s a line between robust free speech and threatening people,” Roy said.
More REIGNITE meetings and public input sessions are expected in the coming months.
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