Possibility of another parish home rule charter review eyed

St. Mary Parish’s home rule charter may be reviewed again.
At Wednesday’s meeting of the parish council, Councilman Glen Hidalgo said he wanted to bring the idea up for discussion.
“In 2010 we did a charter review,” Hidalgo said. “Each council member had picked somebody from the public to represent them in a committee…they had a lot of open meetings, open to the public, and no public response to speak of.”
Hidalgo said recent “issues” with the charter might be reason to review the document again. He suggested that the parish council itself be the review committee.
The original review committee recommended pay raises and term extensions for parish president and council members.
“Whatever changes (are proposed) have to go to the ballot” for voters to approve, Hidalgo noted.
“You’re looking at a 30-year-old document,” Councilman Kevin Voisin said. “It’s kinda outgrown its time.” He noted that there have been small issues with the charter three decades after its adoption by voters.
It would be next year before any proposed changes could be placed on the ballot.
Answering a question from Council Chair Paul Naquin, Chief Administration Office Henry “Bo” LaGrange said nothing in the charter requires a committee to review it. “It just says that if you want to amend or repeal the charter you adopt an ordinance, and it has to go before a vote of the people, and it requires a two-thirds vote of the council” to place changes on the ballot.
Councilman Craig Mathews said multiple meetings with the public should be held to receive input. “The average citizen has no clue what’s in that charter,” he said. Mathews suggested town hall meetings, encouraging residents to attend.
“Many people have many opinions that I’m sure many of us have heard when we’re campaigning,” he said. “Some of us know there are things that concern people.”
He said citizens would be “more apt” to share their feelings in their own neighborhoods.
The council took no formal action.

ST. MARY NOW

Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874

Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255