Parish councils select new leadership

The Terrebonne and Lafourche parish councils chose new leadership for the new year this week.

At each parish council meeting, members voted to select new council chairs and vice-chairs. The Terrebonne Parish Council selected a veteran council members to lead while two newcomers took the reins in Lafourche.

In Terrebonne Parish, Councilman Dirk Guidry was chosen to succeed John Navy as the council chair with a unanimous vote. Guidry, in his second term representing District 8, was vice-chair for the last year and will be replaced by Steve Trosclair, the District 9 council member in his first term.

Guidry said he was a bit nervous conducting his first meeting, but it was overall pretty easy. He credited learning with both Navy and the entire council over the past year and promised to assist Trosclair in his new position.

“The process, me and John went through it, we helped each other. I feel I’m going to do the same thing for Steve,” Guidry said. “I’ve been knowing Steve since we went to school together. I’ve helped with a few questions that he’s asked before, so it’s going to be very easy to work with Steve. We’re both from down the bayou, and it’s a good thing.”

Trosclair said his first year was an eye-opening experience and acknowledged he still has a lot to learn in the future. He said it was an honor to be chosen unanimously as a vice-chair going into his second year, and is ready to tackle the myriad issues council members face each day.

“We deal with all of it, and there’s a lot to do. It’s fun, it’s interesting, and I look forward to the challenge,” Trosclair said.

In Lafourche Parish, two fresh faces have succeeded two veteran council members in leading council meetings. Corey Perrilloux, from District 6, is taking over for Jerry LaFont as the council chair while District 2’s Luci Sposito is replacing Jerry Jones as the vice-chair.

Perrilloux said it was nice to get the vote from his colleagues and hopes to keep council meetings running smoothly. He said he plans to keep meetings flowing with as little friction as possible while allowing for discussion.

“I don’t want to hear a bunch of soapboxes and stuff like that on issues. If you’ve got something to say, say it and let’s move on. The people deserve professional representation and that’s what I’m here to give them,” Perrilloux said.

Sposito said her duties as vice-chair are yet to be determined by Perrilloux. He will be in charge of delegating meeting duties to her, as Jones read proposed ordinances as vice-chair last year. Aside from that, she will have to be available whenever Perrilloux is not. She said she is ready for her new role and honored to receive the support from the rest of the council.

“I’m happy about it. You’re always pleased to receive recognition from your peers,” Sposito said.

New council members