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St. Mary’s more than 30-year-old home rule charter is long overdue for revision, members of the parish council say, but opinions vary on what those changes should be.
Central to the discussion was the role of the parish president and the corresponding pay. The charter specifies a $12,000 annual salary, yet does not specify if the position is full-time, part-time or something in the middle.
Councilman Dale Rogers returned to an ordinance document he proposed several months ago that outlined suggested changes, primarily setting the parish president’s salary at $78,000 and requiring a full-time presidency. The president would also be the parish’s economic development figure, with the power to appoint and set the salary and have direct supervision over a director of economic development, with approval of the council.
Councilman Patrick Hebert said the proposed salary may still be insufficient compared to other parish employees. He also questioned removing salary authority for the economic development head from the council.
Rogers said discussions with other council members indicated a desire to have the president be responsible for economic development.
Councilman Craig Mathews said he did not feel that the duties of the parish president were adequately presented. “I’m open for exploring options,” he said. “But I don’t think we’re there yet. If we’re going to do it, we should do it right.”
Councilman Paul Naquin said St. Mary’s charter is “completely different than any other parish. It was written in 1983 to take politics out of (the council) and given to the chief administrator…if we want to go to a full-time position—and I’m not ready to do that for sure, because (Chief Administrative Officer Henry “Bo” LaGrange) is the best administrator in this state. He’s taken a lot of the politics from us. Until we put the CAO under the parish president, I’m not going to vote for it.”
“A full-time parish president should not be handling day-to-day operations in the parish,” Rogers countered.
Council Chairman Kevin Voisin said he’d prefer to see the parish president serve as the economic development officer, and save the $56,000 current director’s salary.
“Economic development in this parish hasn’t gone anywhere in 10 years,” Rogers said. “Maybe we need to change something.”
“We’re the lowest paid parish president and council members in the state,” Naquin pointed out. “That needs to be changed, but if we’re not going to give the parish president full duties…I traveled everywhere in this state in my 10 years as parish president, you’ve got to stay involved.”
Mathews said a full-time parish president must work 35 hours a week under federal law to be considered full-time. “If we’re saying we doing so…to increase economic opportunity, and that doesn’t happen, then what are we saying, that the parish president himself is unsuccessful? There are a lot of factors that also come into play on whether companies come into this parish and we’ve seen some of those unfold in these meetings very recently.”
The deadline to put a ballot item before the voters is June 21 for the November election.
Councilman Glenn Hidalgo said he’s talked to constituents who’ve offered input. He said term limits of boards and commissions were brought up. He suggested term limits of various lengths based on the term structure of the parish’s more than 40 boards and commissions, which stipulate various tenures.
Hebert asked if a sitting board member could continue to serve, even if termed out, if no one applied to serve. Legal counsel Eric Duplantis said that under state law that in any position, a public servant continues to serve in their position until replaced.
Duplantis also pointed out that much research would be required into the specifications of boards and commissions because many are created by state statute and may mandate terms and/or their limitations.
Mathews said sometimes board members serve so long they feel they “run the board,” and that he favors some manner of term limits.
“It’s nothing personal, but I think some people have been there too long,” Mathews said.
Hidalgo also suggested that if a councilman runs for another seat, while currently serving, that councilman would lose their existing position, whether or not they win.
Rogers asked council members to submit any other ideas to the council clerk for further discussion. The council will meet in special session again on March 14 prior to the first regular meeting of the month.

As Patterson police try to find a suspect in a Friday shooting, Police Chief Patrick LaSalle says a December 2017 plea deal put the suspect with an allegedly lengthy violent history back on the streets.

Prosecutors say they accepted the plea agreement due to concerns over being able to get a conviction on several different charges.

Authorities are still trying to locate Robert J. Parker Jr., 37, of Patterson, who is wanted in connection with a Friday night shooting in Patterson on charges of aggravated assault, discharging a firearm in the city limits, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and resisting an officer by flight.

On Friday night, Parker approached another man near the intersection of Sixth and Park streets in Patterson, LaSalle said. Parker is accused of firing a gun three times at the man but did not hit him, the chief said.

Police attempted to arrest Parker on Saturday, but he evaded authorities. Police did recover a 26 Glock pistol with extended magazines capable of holding up to 60 rounds of ammunition that Parker is believed to have used in the shooting, LaSalle said. On Wednesday, LaSalle said that he planned to request help from U.S. marshals to try to apprehend Parker.

LaSalle said he disagreed with prosecutors’ decision not to prosecute charges against Parker stemming from a January 2017 incident at a bar in Patterson.

The 16th Judicial District Attorney had originally filed a bill of information in connection with that incident, charging Parker with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon or carrying a concealed weapon, possession of cocaine, resisting a police officer with force or violence, battery of a police officer, and possession of a firearm on the premises of alcoholic beverage in that incident.

The charges in that case were dismissed along with a battery of a correctional facility employee charge from a June 2017 incident at the St. Mary Parish jail as part of a December 2017 plea deal in a drug case. With the plea deal, he pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine in connection with a February 2014 traffic stop in Berwick by St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office narcotics detectives, court records stated.

Assistant District Attorney Wayne Simoneaud handled the case in connection with the January 2017 incident in Patterson, but not the June 2017 incident at parish jail.

“There were some issues surrounding both of those cases,” Simoneaud said. “We decided to wrap them all up together in a plea deal.”

In the January 2017 incident, Patterson police had responded to Club 360 in regard to an individual who was allegedly selling drugs and had a gun, Simoneaud said. There was some “conflicting testimony in the reports” by both Patterson officers who responded to the scene in regard to the gun found on Parker, Simoneaud said. Another possible credibility issue in the case was due to an item that officers located after bringing Parker to the police department, he said.

According to LaSalle, in January 2017, Patterson police received a call and arrived at a bar. Officers identified Parker, who was selling drugs, and saw a gun on him, LaSalle said. The officers approached Parker and an altercation ensued.

Police then arrested Parker, who also had cocaine on him and a loaded 40 Glock pistol with a 30 round extended magazine, LaSalle said. Police seized that weapon.

Parker has an “extensive violent history,” LaSalle said Monday. In addition to Parker’s December 2017 plea deal, St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court records show that Parker had a felony conviction in 2005 for attempted distribution of cocaine. He also has some misdemeanor convictions.

The list of charges filed against him over the years is much longer. According to court records, since 1999, charges have been filed in 26 separate cases, including accusations of violence, against Parker.

After Parker’s December 2017 guilty plea, Judge Lori Landry sentenced Parker to serve two years in St. Mary Parish jail, and gave him credit for all time served in the matter, court records said. The minute entry of the guilty plea didn’t specify how long Parker had served in jail before the plea.

“He walked right out,” LaSalle said, referring to Parker’s release from jail following the plea agreement.

Anyone with information on Parker’s whereabouts should call the Patterson Police Department at 985-395-6161.

BATON ROUGE — House Republican leaders have jettisoned some spending-control proposals they once described as critical to getting GOP support for tax votes in Louisiana’s special session. Other ideas have been watered down, and the remaining package is part of the larger tax negotiations, subject to tweaking, as it awaits a House debate scheduled for Wednesday.
Republican House Speaker Taylor Barras issued an ultimatum of sorts before the session began, telling Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards that the package of items labeled as “budget reforms” must pass in exchange for tax votes to help close a nearly $1 billion budget gap without making deep reductions to state services.
But at least two of the proposals carry significant price tags, even as GOP lawmakers describe them as efforts to rein in long-term spending.
Medicaid changes
Efforts to require cost-sharing for some Medicaid patients, such as co-pays for services, have been shelved amid opposition from both Republicans and Democrats.
Republicans have moved forward with a measure aimed at requiring some adult Medicaid recipients to work. But that bill has been substantially gutted, leaving most decisions to Louisiana’s health secretary for the work-requirement design and barring loss of health coverage for those who don’t meet the mandate.
Also, the program pitched to control state spending is estimated to cost millions to set up a tracking system — and the work requirement would begin only if lawmakers agree to spend the money.
Rep. Frank Hoffmann, the West Monroe Republican sponsoring the bill, said it would encourage unemployed Medicaid recipients to seek jobs or skills training. He said research shows that people who are employed are healthier.
“This is intended to help people, not hurt people,” Hoffmann said.
Edwards supports the proposal. But Democrats on the House health committee objected.
“I think we’re labeling and promoting some false stereotypes,” said Rep. Helena Moreno, a New Orleans Democrat.

Spending cap
The most cost-controlling proposal in the package would rework Louisiana’s cap on annual spending growth. The constitutional change requires a two-thirds legislative vote.
The current cap limits growth in state spending using a three-year average of state personal income growth, with some exceptions of what’s included in the spending base.
Barras’ proposal would use income growth average, along with calculations involving the state income forecast, state population growth and the regional Consumer Price Index.
Edwards and Republican Senate President John Alario have expressed concerns.
Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne said the formula is so restrictive it could trigger two-thirds votes for even minor midyear budget adjustments.
Alario said that under Barras’ formula, Louisiana would have been restricted to below its own revenue forecast for three of the past 10 years.
“I’m for some serious, some fair expenditure limit, but I don’t want something that’s going to tie the hands of the Legislature,” Alario said.
Barras said his formula would have the state “bumping up to the limit more often,” which would require a two-thirds vote of lawmakers to breach. But he added: “That’s the point of this exercise.”

Transparency
website
House Republicans and the Edwards administration are at odds over a one-stop website detailing how every state budget dollar is spent.
GOP lawmakers, conservative organizations and business groups are promoting a searchable website they’re calling Louisiana Checkbook.
It's modeled after an Ohio website that has a Google-style search bar, interactive charts and downloadable data.
Supporters say it will cut costs by making spending more transparent.
Dardenne said planned improvements to an existing website called LaTrac will offer searchable information that Republicans are seeking, without needing to spend additional money on an outside contractor as the GOP legislation suggests.