District changes, pay raise proposals fall short in Parish Council

For the last few months, St. Mary Parish Councilman J Ina has been putting forward ideas for changes in parish government. Three of those ideas failed narrowly Oct. 26.

Three Ina ordinances, two proposing changes in the district set-up from which members are elected and one to raise council members’ pay, drew seven yes votes each from the 11-member council. But because those ordinances proposed charter amendment elections, they required eight votes for passage.

One of the proposed ordinances would have changed the parish’s system of at-large district representation.

Currently, eight council members are elected by voters in their geographic districts. Three more represent what are called at-large districts — District 9 from west St. Mary to the Calumet Cut, District 10 in most of the area between the cut and the Atchafalaya River, and District 11 in portions of Berwick and all of the parish east of the river.

Members elected from the at-large districts have to live there, but each is elected by voters parishwide. The council chairmanship and vice chairmanship are limited by the charter to at-large members.

The other district ordinance proposed an alternative in which all 11 members would be elected from geographic districts where they live with no at-large members. Ina noted that the 11 single-member districts from which School Board members are elected include four with African American majorities.

Ina, of Franklin, has argued for greater opportunities for minority representation on the council. He noted again at the Oct. 26 meeting that while 32% of the parish’s population is black, only two of the 11 districts have African American majorities.

Each has elected an African American member, Ina and the Rev. Craig Mathews of Jeanerette.

“This would be an opportunity to increase the black vote on the council ...,” Ina said. “This is good for the parish. This is a way to move forward.”

Scott Ramsey of Bayou Vista voted for both ordinances, but not without reservation.

“I look forward to the day we get past all this black and white stuff and we treat each other as neighbors,” Ramsey said.

“Unfortunately,” Mathews said, “the real world we live in is black and white.”

Councilman Patrick Hebert had another reason for changing the at-large system. He said a candidate for the at-large district that includes Berwick would have to campaign parishwide. Council members should be elected only by the people they represent, he said.

“I think the people ought to vote on this,” said Councilman Mark Duhon of Amelia on the ordinance that keeps but changes the at-large system.

The vote on both ordinances was 7-2, with members Dr. Kristi Prejeant Rink and Rodney Olander absent. Both fell short of the required super majority.

Also Oct. 26, Ina’s proposed charter amendment on council pay failed by a.7-2 affirmative vote. The proposal would have raised council compensation to the average of municipal council pay in the parish.

The current council compensation is $450 per member per month and has been unchanged since the charter took effect in 1984.

Councilman James Bennett of Morgan City objected.

He said any pay raises should go to parish government employees who cut the grass, clean the halls and perform the other functions that keep the parish going.

Mathews noted that the raise wouldn’t take effect until the next council is seated in 2024. And he framed the issue as a question of fairness. More pay makes it more possible for more people to serve on the council, he said.

“This charter was designed to that a select demographic would be elected to serve in these positions,” Mathews said. “We are no longer living in that time.”

Franklin Mayor Eugene Foulcard came to the public comment lectern to say that the at-large council member in Franklin makes $850 per month, and other council members make $800 per month.

A proposed charter amendment opening council leadership positions to any member is on the Dec. 10 ballot.

The council has also passed an ordinance calling for a charter amendment election on whether to raise the parish president’s salary to the average salary of the parish’s five mayors.

The council hasn’t passed the resolution to put that proposal to voters. It could appear on the ballot as early as March 25.

The council also:

—Passed a tougher noise ordinance. The parish’s ordinance had prohibited loud music or noise only from vehicles. The new ordinance makes loud music from any source that is audible from 50 feet subject to a fine of $50 to $500. The same penalties were in effect in the ordinance that was limited to vehicle music.

—Passed an ordinance removing the current requirement that the Atchafalaya Golf Course Commission submit its annual budget to the Parish Council for approval.

The requirement has been in effect since the commission was created in 2004. No other parish government subdivision is required to get council approval for its budget.

—Tabled a proposed ordinance that adds parks, playgrounds, libraries, daycare centers and detention facilities to the list of entities for which no liquor permits can be granted within 300 feet. The current list also includes only churches and schools.

Members sought legal counsel on whether the ordinance would affect existing businesses and whether it would prevent the rental of civic centers for events at which beer is served.