Morgan City mayor, councilmen take oaths Monday

Morgan City gets a new mayor, and City Council members renew their oaths at a special meeting at 6 p.m. Monday at Municipal Auditorium.
Lee Dragna, who won the Dec. 5 mayoral runoff, will take the oath of office after remarks by outgoing Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi and council members as the 2017-21 term ends.
Dragna and Kevin Voisin emerged from the Nov. 3 primary with runoff spots. On Dec. 5, businessman Dragna beat Voisin, a longtime Parish Council member, with 56% of the vote.
Also taking oaths of office will be the council members, all of whom return from service in the previous term.
Three of them qualified without opposition: Steve Domangue, Tim Hymel and Mark Stephens.
Councilmen Louis Tamporello and Ron Bias defeated re-election challenges.
Bias won 51% of the primary vote Nov. 3 to defeat Macelle B. Hoskins and Julia “Blaze” Johnson.
Tamporello won 62% to defeat Jason Thomas Viator in the Nov. 3 primary.
The agenda for Monday’s special meeting also includes the announcement of mayoral appointments, the appointment of the city clerk by the council and the election of a mayor pro tem.
Other St. Mary officeholders have or will soon take their oaths of office:
—Assessor Jarod Longman, who qualified without opposition.
—Newly elected District Judge Anthony “Tony” Saleme, who defeated Iberia Parish Councilwoman Natalie Broussard for the vacant Division F seat on the 16th Judicial District Court. The district covers St. Mary, Iberia and St. Martin parishes.
—Newly elected District Judge Roger P. Hamilton, who beat Alicia Butler in the race for the 16th JDC’s Division H seat.
—Incumbent District Attorney “Bo” Duhe, who defeated former District Judge Lori Landry in the 16th Judicial District Court.
—Robert Darce, who qualified without opposition for Morgan City marshal.
—Kim Stansbury, who qualified without opposition for Morgan City Court judge.
St. Mary voters also helped re-elect U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R- Lafayette, from the 3rd Congressional District and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge.
They were sworn in for the new Congress on Jan. 3.