knoe 8 news, Monroe, city council - KNOE 8 News; KNOE-TV; KNOE.com |

MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - Three Monroe City Council members are saying their goodbyes in the final meeting for the year.

"It was bittersweet to a degree, but it was challenging," Interim Council Member Glenda Smith-Starr.

Starr only served for a short time.She along with Interim Council Member Ellen Hill are taking over after the former District 3 and 4 councilmen stepped down.

Arthur Gilmore and Red Stevens are appealing their April prison sentencing. Stevens faces 51 months and Gilmore is facing 41 months in federal prison following racketeering and bribery convictions.
     
"I felt that what I was doing was simply stepping up and helping my city," Hill said.

The longest serving member out of the trio is Council Chair Jay Marx. After serving eight and half years on the council he is most proud of the drop in racial tensions in the city.

"We've had three votes along racial lines, that's the way it should be, not always the way it's been," Marx said.

This most recent term is a longer one. Council members were forced to push back elections, to last month, as of result of being late on the redistricting process.

As the council's chairman, Marx is also leaving some advice for Monroe's future lawmakers.

"I hope they can embrace the concept of working together. I hope they can embrace the concept of negotiating," Marx said.

The terms officially come to an end next Tuesday.