AMITE — Three people are seeking to unseat Amite Mayor Walter Daniels III amid suggestions of impropriety in the municipal government.

Daniels faces councilmen Damon Ellzey and Jonathan Foster along with former Chamber of Commerce head Ayana Buchanan.

Daniels was an Amite councilman for 23 years and was a former member of the Tangipahoa Parish School Board and the vice president at large for the Louisiana Municipal Association. He became mayor the town's first African-American mayor in 2020. WBRZ spoke with him several times but he would not commit to a time and a place to meet for an interview.

Foster is currently the longest-serving member of the town council and WBRZ could not reach him through email, telephone calls and text messages using data from the Secretary of State's office.

Ellzey is also a current council member and is a Realtor. In July, according to The Hammond Star, Ellzey sent a letter to the attorney general's office asking for an investigation into Daniels and other previous council members. The newspaper reported that questions were raised about how the mayor's salary was set and how and several contracts were executed.

Ellzey also would not talk on camera and the Attorney General's office would only say they received the letter but could not comment.

The only candidate willing to go on camera was Buchanan, an LSU graduate who formerly was president of the Chamber of Commerce. She said that position helped open her eyes up to becoming a candidate.

"I realize that there was so much more than could be done, so much more that needed to be done if we wanted to see the town that we know, the town that we love, move forward," Buchanan said. 

One thing the candidate said she would like to see is more businesses moving into Amite.

"Many people would like to just see more commerce here in Amite, Louisiana. I mean we have our courthouse here, and we have many things that draw people to our area," she said.

Buchanan plans to work more closely with law enforcement officials when it comes to public safety.

"Even though we house the jail here, they deserve to feel safe so we just make sure we are working more closely with our sheriff's office, and also working more closely with our local police department. To make sure there is transparency within our government and making sure whatever does occur our citizens know about it just upfront" Buchanan said. 

Buchanan is the youngest of the four candidates and hopes her candidacy sends a message to the community as a whole.

"The younger generation isn't lost. They are ready to work. They're smart. They're energized. They're passionate, and we can pass the baton. It also sends out a message to those around our same age group that we have to get involved," Buchanan said.