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Bogalusa Mayor Wendy Perrette told The Daily News that the city of Bogalusa is advancing in the statewide “Cleanest City Contest.”

Judges from the contest visited Bogalusa on Wednesday, May 5, to inspect the city and determine whether it would advance to the state level of competition.

“We’re very happy to be advancing again this year,” Perrette said.

Perrette said that the next level of judging would be on Wednesday, May 26, so she encouraged citizens to do their part to keep the community clean this spring.

The Louisiana Garden Club Federation sponsors the Cleanest City Contest each year. According to the group, the aim of the contest is to instill civic pride in the individual citizens and thus, improve the appearance of towns and cities.

In 2019, Bogalusa finished in fourth place in Division G. The 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think it’s a good thing for the city,” Perrette said. “The thing about this contest is that the route (for judging) changes from year to year, so it’s important for everyone to keep their neighborhoods clean all the time.”

City Parks and Recreation Director Landon Tims said that the award is something that should bring pride to all Bogalusa citizens.

“The most important thing is that we’re being recognized at a state level,” he said. “We want to be sure to keep everyone involved and look forward to participating again next year.”

“I think our city is a winner just for entering the contest and taking part in it,” Perrette said.