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Lafourche Parish President Jimmy Cantrelle will have to find his third parish administrator in a little more than a year.
Cantrelle fired Parish Administrator Reggie Bagala today and had Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Deputies escort him from the government building in Mathews. Bagala had been in the position since September, when he was promoted to the post to replace Don Matherne, who resigned in August.
In a December investigation by District Attorney Cam Morvant, Bagala said Cantrelle had forced him to call parish council members to make a deal on the parish’s employee health insurance plan in exchange for raises to key employees. Bagala did not want to speculate on if his whistleblowing led to his firing, instead saying there must have been a difference of opinion between him and Cantrelle.
“It was apparent there’s a difference in philosophy between the parish president and myself in how parish government should work in Lafourche,” Bagala said.
Cantrelle declined to comment on the request for officers when contacted by The Times for this story.
Bagala had been with the parish since March 2014, when former Parish President Charlotte Randolph appointed him as director of community services. Cantrelle retained Bagala upon taking office last year before promoting the September promotion. In the parish administrator role, Bagala assisted Cantrelle in overseeing day-to-day operations of all parish departments and was the second only to Cantrelle in the government. He said Cantrelle offered him a chance to step down as administrator and return to his old position last week, and he was considering the move. However, today Cantrelle presented him with a termination letter and told him his services were no longer needed, according to Bagala.
Bagala said he was not sure what changed between last week and today, but he said he spent his time with the parish focused on his employees. He said the managers of the six offices he looked over in his old position saw his unceremonious exit today.
“They stood outside my door and they watched. And it’s not fun. It’s not a fun thing,” Bagala said. “I apologize to them because the last thing I want to do is hurt them. Everything I’ve done in my job is for my people and my employees.”
In interviews with Morvant for the investigation, both Bagala and Public Works Director James Barnes said Cantrelle told Bagala to call council members and seek council approval for raises to key parish employees in return for Cantrelle presenting the health plan favored by parish employees to the council for approval. According to his statement to Morvant, Bagala called two council members before refusing to call anymore, saying he was uncomfortable with the task.
When asked for a reason on Bagala’s firing, Cantrelle again offered no details on the matter.
“This conversation’s going to end because I can’t speak about any employees, past or present. Thank you very much,” Cantrelle said.
Bagala said he loved working with his employees in his home parish, noting he turned down jobs in Baton Rouge to stay local. While he said he’s “had better days,” Bagala’s been buoyed by well-wishers from council members and coworkers.
“I’ve received an overwhelming amount of support over the past few hours. The calls, the texts, it’s really humbling. That’s what keeps me grounded,” Bagala said.
Former Lafourche Parish Administrator Reggie Bagala (second from left) helps write an amendment to a resolution concerning the parish’s health insurance plan in November. Bagala was fired by Parish President Jimmy Cantrelle today.
