Trust is built on openness. The campaign proposes livestreaming and posting City Council meetings, reviewing city departments for efficiency, and conducting regular community surveys with published results so residents can see how city government is performing and what their neighbors are asking for.

• Livestream City Council meetings and make recordings available through city digital channels.

• Conduct a top-to-bottom review of city departments focused on efficiency and taxpayer value.

• Publish regular Mayor’s Reports through the city website, social media, and local media.

• Conduct quarterly community surveys and publish the results.

• Maintain a paper option for residents who do not use online tools.

• Create a city website dashboard showing major-project status and financial information.

• Explore dedicated communications staffing to manage city information, social media, website content, press releases, livestreaming, advertising, and marketing.

• Create easier systems for residents to report road, sewer, and other city-service issues.

• Establish recurring focus groups or stakeholder meetings with Realtors, hotel owners, restaurant owners, retailers, teachers, factory workers, youth, and other community groups.

The campaign proposes a balanced approach that supports existing small businesses while recruiting new commercial investment.

• Attract large retail development to strengthen the local sales-tax base.

• Establish a Revolving Loan Fund for local small businesses to support building rehabilitation and technical assistance.

• Create a Food Truck and Vendor Park area in Marion.

• Pursue a Vacant Building Ordinance for commercial districts along Highway 77 and Military Road to address blight and neglected properties.

• Work to address limited food access on the western side of the city / Bayou Vista area.

• Support both large and small business development.

• Work with the Chamber to support established businesses and startups.

• Host business expos, business-after-hours events, and entrepreneurial education opportunities.

• Work with landowners and development partners to make more property available for productive investment.

• Work with MYSA and Grand Slam Baseball to strengthen youth-sports facilities and events as part of local economic activity.

Raymond defines active community development as getting basic city services right while investing in stronger partnerships, public spaces, youth involvement, local nonprofits, and neighborhood quality of life. 

• Deliver essential municipal services, including water, sewer, sanitation, fire, police, and parks, at a consistently high standard.

• Utilize high-school community-service requirements to support local initiatives where appropriate.

• Strengthen the city’s partnership with the Marion School District.

• Help establish a Community Foundation to provide financial support to local nonprofits; Raymond has pledged $2,500 of his annual mayoral salary to support the effort.

• Explore a full-time grant writer / community-outreach position.

• Organize city beautification and trash-pickup days.

• Beautify gateway areas and major corridors.

• Expand neighborhood parks and bike-path opportunities.

• Establish an annual city music festival.

• Continue work on major community-development and infrastructure projects.