Ferriday — Ferriday will elect a new mayor this spring, but the man chosen to fill the seat vacated by Glen McGlothin certainly won’t need directions to Town Hall.

Incumbent McGlothin — who was the mayor of Ferriday from 1988 until 1996, from 2000 to 2004 and from 2008 to present — chose not to seek re-election and did not submit qualification papers last week.

The four men who will contend for his seat are not strangers to town government, though.

Gene Allen, who was among the first to qualify Wednesday, was Ferriday mayor from 2004 to 2008. He ran in 2008 but lost to McGlothin.

Allen said his campaign will focus on moving Ferriday into the 21st century.

“Ferriday has an image problem and we need to restore Ferriday to what it once was,” Allen said. “We have some projects in Ferriday that need to be competed, and I feel like I can complete them.”

Allen said he admits his last term as mayor involved some mistakes, but hopes to put that behind him and move forward.

During Allen’s last term as mayor, an outside audit report said he was improperly given more than $3,000 in the final month he was in office.

“I hope they give me the opportunity to serve them as the mayor again,” Allen said. “The people of this district have come to me and ask me to run for this job.”

Johnnie Brown, who also qualified on the first day, currently serves the town as District D alderman. He has served multiple terms as alderman and run an unsuccessful campaign for mayor in the past.

Joe Sontoyo, who qualified Thursday, is the longtime Ferriday Fire Chief.

And Justin Conner, who qualified Thursday, is currently a justice of the peace. He has run for a variety of town and parish offices, including his most recent unsuccessful campaign for state representative.

Conner said last week he is concerned with Ferriday’s image and hopes the citizens realize his commitment to their needs and concerns.

“I want them to know that I’ve been part of the suffering and let down with them,” Conner said. “Over the years, I didn’t vacate the town and I didn’t abandon the citizens because what affected them also affected me.”

Conner said he is excited for the opportunity to bring the community back together.

“I think it’s time for the next generation to take over if there’s going to be a future Ferriday,” Conner said.

McGlothin, Brown and Sontoyo were unavailable for comment.

In Vidalia, incumbent Mayor Hyram Copeland is unopposed and said he has high hopes for his next term.

“There are several projects that I want to finish before I finish my political career,” Copeland said. “It would be a tremendous honor for me to represent the people of Vidalia.”

Qualifying for municipal and police jury races for the March 24 primary ended Friday evening.