At the August 13, 2026, meeting of the Bunkie City Council, former City Attorney Dan B. McKay, Jr. presented a special gift to the City of Bunkie—a framed copy of the program from the inauguration of the Bunkie City Court on November 29, 1956.

Accompanying the historic program were photographs of Leona Baronne, the court’s first clerk; Bunkie Mayor L.P. Garcia; and Judge James N. Lee, founder and first judge of the Bunkie City Court. McKay is the son-in-law of Judge Lee.

Judge Lee successfully petitioned the Louisiana Legislature to establish the Bunkie City Court and was subsequently elected its first judge in 1956. He served in that capacity until his election to the 12th Judicial District Court in 1978.

Making the occasion especially meaningful, three generations of Judge Lee’s family were present for the proceedings: his daughter, Adrienne Lee McKay; granddaughter, Holly McKay Descant; and great-granddaughter, Frances M. Descant.

Following McKay’s presentation to the city, Mayor Brenda C. Sampson and the Bunkie City Council returned the favor in kind, presenting McKay with a plaque commemorating his two tenures as Bunkie City Attorney.

McKay first served as Bunkie City Attorney from 1982 to 1990 and returned to the position more than three decades later, serving from 2022 to 2026, before taking leave to devote his full attention to his campaign for Congress in Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District.

In presenting the plaque on behalf of the city, Mayor Sampson thanked McKay for his many years of service to Bunkie, particularly his recent contributions and legal expertise in helping advance the city’s successful and ongoing “Operation Blight Fight” initiative.

In thanking the mayor and council for the opportunity to serve, McKay alluded to his congressional campaign and the lessons learned from his years of municipal service.

“Being city attorney has taught me the critical needs of rural communities and how to deal with them,” McKay said. “It’s a continuing struggle, and I’m not ready to stop here.”