Charter change added to July ballot

Lafourche Parish voters will decide July 19 if the parish’s Home Rule Charter should be modified to allow councilmen the authority to directly question parish executive employees and hired contractors such as architects and engineers.

By a 7-2 vote last week, the council agreed to put the question of a charter change to the public. Councilmen Rodney Doucet and L. Philip Gouaux voted against the ordinance.

Councilman Matt Matherne called the parish’s current policy limiting the council’s project queries to the parish president’s administration “asinine and silly.” He and Councilman Daniel Lorraine are spearheading the revisions to the charter.

“This is out of hand,” Matherne said, speaking of the limitations on councilmembers’ direct access to parish employees or contractors. “This is not what [the Home Rule Charter] was constructed to do. If we (councilmen) see something going wrong with a project, we should have every right to discuss the issues with the architects and engineers. We are not trying to interfere, but rather make sure that the project is done correctly.”

Both councilmen said that in order to conduct day-to-day business as elected officials, they should be granted access to discuss project information with all members of the executive branch, as well as hired architects and engineers.

“We have abided by the revised charter since 2005, but it’s time for a change,” the two men said.

When the council was seated in January, Parish President Charlotte Randolph provided a list of 33 people available to hear members’ complaints or discuss project concerns. “Under the Home Rule Charter, these are the only people you can speak to directly,” she reminded the council last week.

The list of names was not disclosed as of press time.

An excerpt from the Home Rule Charter under the section titled “Interference with Officers and Employees of the Executive Branch” dictates that the “Council shall have a mandatory duty not to directly or indirectly interfere with, or give any orders to, any officer, department head, employee, or independent contractor of the parish who are under the direction or supervision of the executive branch.”

Randolph warned the council that if they were to discuss project information with architects, contractors or engineers directly, extra costs could be added to the parish projects, at the local government’s expense.

“Each time you guys speak to an architect or engineer, they can add costs to the project,” she said. “Who’s going to pay for the added expense? We (parish government) are. That’s why I strongly object to the ordinance.”

Matherne disagreed, saying, “If the project is done correctly, we will save money, rather than cost the parish money.”

Randolph said the charter provision is not intended to prevent a voting member of the council from discussing a problem, voicing a concern or directing a complaint to the parish president or her administration.

“You can discuss things with me, Mrs. [Crystal] Chaisson or any of the department heads, but you can’t dictate to the architects, contractors or engineers what needs to be done,” Randolph told the council.

The Lafourche Parish Council found itself on the receiving end in February of a lecture from Lafourche Parish District Attorney Cam Morvant. The district attorney warned the council that it was legally obligated to abide by the Home Rule Charter – including not directly contacting staff outside Randolph and her administration – and failure to do so would result in prosecution.

“This ordinance is very important to the parish. How can I be prosecuted for doing my job?,” Councilman Joe Fertitta asked last week. “I was elected by the people to be a representative for them. Don’t you think they need adequate representation in their neighborhoods when projects are being done?”

Councilman Lorraine interjected, “Let’s not continue to beat a dead horse. Let’s let the voters decide.”

If approved, the ordinance would be titled “Discussion with Officers and Employees of the Executive Branch,” and the phrase “directly or indirectly interfere with” would be removed from the ordinance completely. The phrase forbidding the council from giving orders to staff or contracted workers would remain.

The change would allow councilmen to voice concerns or complaints to the parish president, the staff or hired contractors.