By Ken Stickney

ken.stickney@panews.com

A fiery Thurman Bill Bartie pledged to seek unity among all Port Arthur entities in promoting his campaign for mayor.

Thus far, five candidates have been certified to seek the mayor’s office for a three-year term. Qualifying ends Feb. 15; the election date is May 4.

Bartie, a native of Port Arthur, is a graduate of Abraham Lincoln High and Lamar University, where he earned a bachelor’s in government. He has completed a certification program as a mortician, earned a master’s in ministry from Tennessee Temple and said he has done all but his dissertation for a doctorate.

In a 40-minute session Thursday on The Port Arthur News’ livestreamed newsmakers program, Bartie, 64, a funeral home operator and a father of four, said he sought the office after he was approached by citizens, reflected and prayed and launched an exploratory group to weigh whether he might win. Now was the time, he decided.

He described himself as a “transformational leader,” one who could create coalitions among elected leaders and the myriad governmental entities in Port Arthur to create a unified path forward for the city. He said as a leader, he’d convince people to do things they might otherwise not do — if it were in the city’s best interest.

He said his rocky political experience — he resigned as a justice of the peace after nine years of service following complaints about his deportment on the bench — taught him to temper his volatile reactions and to behave more professionally. His clashes with people in court sometimes stemmed from a lack of respect from other African Americans appearing in his court, he said. If they said inappropriate things to him, he’d react in kind. He “matched their manner,” he said.

But Bartie also said he grew more mature from that experience, and would use those lessons learned to better perform public service as a mayor.

He said he has attended council meetings and would be able to work with the current council members.

“I could work with the devil if he’d put down his pitchfork,” he said, quoting a mentor, the Rev. Ransom Howard.

On specific issues, Bartie said:

• Road repairs in the city will require a systematic effort with reliable funding. Some road problems stem from actions or inactions from 25 years ago, he said. They will take time to fix.
• Drainage efforts would require weighing the opinions of experts, including civil engineers, from Drainage District 7 and the city’s Public Works Department.
• While all six council seats and the mayor’s chair are filled by African Americans, he said other sizable demographic populations, such as Hispanic people, must vote to elect Hispanic representatives. “In concert, they will cause a change,” he said.
• His focus will include keeping the city’s population over 50,000 in the 2020 Census, key to drawing federal funding.

Bartie also said his experience as a funeral home director and pastor should convince voters of this: When he is needed, even at most inopportune times, he will respond.