Police: Suspect abuses girlfriend, exposes himself to female guard
February 7, 2017
Vote of no confidence: Parish President respond’s to council’s vote
February 8, 2017
Lafourche Parish President Jimmy Cantrelle’s interim appointments to key positions will be allowed to stand.
District Attorney Cam Morvant provided his opinion on the matter today, saying Cantrelle’s appointments of Tommy Lasseigne to Interim Parish Administrator and Paul Robichaux to Interim Director of Community Services are allowed by the home rule charter. Cantrelle has 60 days from the vacancies, both caused by Cantrelle’s firing of Reggie Bagala on Jan. 31, to present full-time nominations to the Lafourche Parish Council for approval.
The council requested Morvant’s opinion on the appointments at Thursday’s special meeting. The charter gives the parish president the authority to appoint interim administrator and department heads in the event of vacancies. The council sought clarification on if the president could make interim appointments without first presenting full-time nominations to the council for approval when a vacancy occurs.
Morvant provided a letter to Cantrelle last week warning him that Lasseigne’s and Robichaux’s actions could become null and void, and Lafourche could face legal ramifications, in the event his opinion rendered their appointments invalid. However, Morvant’s reading of the charter, including listening to committee meetings where the relevant section of the charter was discussed, had him confirm Cantrelle’s authority to make those appointments today.
“It would make no sense for the President to have the option to appoint an interim in the event of a vacancy caused by a rejection of an appointment but not have the option to appoint an interim in the event of a vacancy caused by some other reason,” Morvant wrote.
