Ex-Lafourche dept. head announces bid for council seat

Former Lafourche Parish parks and recreation director Greg Sanamo announced last week his bid for a seat on the Lafourche Parish Council this fall.

Lafourche Parish is still in the process of reapportioning its voting districts, but the three models being discussed keep Sanamo in the 7th District, which is currently occupied by Phillip Gouaux. Gouaux has said he will not seek re-election.

“After going to work for Lafourche Parish and seeing what’s all involved and some of the decision-making process that goes on between the council and the administration, I thought with my background and my knowledge of private business and my education and civics background, this would be the right move for me and the parish,” Sanamo, 52, said.

After holding it for one year, Sanamo resigned from his parish post in January and accepted a job in the private sector at LeBlanc Sanitation Services, LLC in Cut Off.

At the time of his resignation, Sanamo hinted that he would be running for Gouaux’s seat, but he wouldn’t confirm his campaign until he saw the proposed district maps.

Sanamo said transparency in government would be his primary concern. Through his work in the recreation department, Sanamo said he became familiar with the lack of public notice given when discussing the potential use of state- and federal-granted monies.

“When I asked for a public meeting [to discuss spending the funds, the administration said], ‘Oh, we had those already,'” Sanamo said. “Evidently, people didn’t get the message if we had them already. I could never get them to understand that the people didn’t understand. If the people don’t understand, that’s what leads to the chaos on the radio, at the parish council meetings when they come in and say all those things.

“We’re trying to get these funds spent for the public for public good,” Sanamo said. “If there’s only a handful that attend the next meeting, then that’s a handful more that know exactly where we’re coming from. Isn’t that what we’re there for, to serve?”

In addition to greater transparency, Sanamo said he would strive for local contractors to have more opportunities to achieve parish contracts.

Prior to directing the parks and recreation department, Sanamo taught civics, world geography and physical education for four and a half years at South Lafourche High School, where also coached baseball, soccer and strength and conditioning.

Gouaux, current Dist. 7 councilman, said two months ago that he would step down so that he could spend more time with his family. “I’ve spent 12 years of my life serving the public and enjoyed it thoroughly, but I have a father that is 88, a mother that is 86, still in good health,” he said. “But I have two businesses, 12 grandkids and as much as I enjoy doing for the public, I think it’s time for me to spend a little time with my family.”

Sanamo graduated from South Lafourche High School in 1977 and holds two college degrees – a bachelor’s degree in physical education, health and social studies from Nicholls State and a bachelor’s degree in emotionally handicapped education from the University of Central Florida.

Sanamo’s wife, Ann Sanamo, was elected to the Lafourche Parish School Board last October after she built a reputation of being in attendance public meetings. Greg Sanamo said he learned from his wife’s campaign and would follow her strategy of attending meetings and door-to-door campaigning.

“If I can keep people talking about me and letting them know that, ‘Hey, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here, I’m not going anywhere and I want to do something for the parish,'” Sanamo said.

No other candidate has formally announced a bid for the 7th District council seat.