Special election to determine interim Terrebonne assessor

Terrebonne Parish Chief Deputy Assessor Loney Grabert, who was certified by the Secretary of State’s office in November to work as assessor until the end of 2011, and three days elected to the post beginning in 2013, said he would file to run during a special election to serve as interim assessor.

Confusion regarding elections to the assessor’s office arose when the incumbent in that position, Gene Bonvillain, died on Nov. 12, one week prior to a runoff that resulted in Grabert taking the win 7,702 to 5,949 votes over candidate Harvey Chauvin.

“I checked on it to make sure I can run,” Grabert said prior to filing for the special election.

Initially, following Bonvillain’s death, questions surfaced as to if a person elected to office could also run as an interim filling that spot. “They had a bunch of confusion,” Grabert said. “I wanted to make sure I had something in writing that said I can qualify.”

Grabert, because of his working position, was the designated next in line if something were to happen to the assessor. The unusual circumstance involved having an election taking place during the same time period. Because of that, officials in the Secretary of State’s election office questioned if Grabert could immediately fill the position and a temporary spot before officially taking office. There was also concern about how to establish a tie of continuity during 2012, which would have been Bonvillain’s final year in office.

“I think they got that straightened out now,” Grabert said. “I think [under the circumstances] somebody coming in for seven months could really do some damage if they don’t know what is going on, especially in a reappraisal year.”

Chauvin was asked if he intended to seek the assessor’s post as an interim office holder. “I’m really not sure at this time,” he said eight days prior to filing. “I need to take care of some things first, then I might look into it.”

As it stands, officials confirmed that another person could be elected to fill the assessor’s role during part of 2012, while Grabert finished out 2011 in that capacity and before his taking office in January 2013.

Filing to qualify as a candidate for the special election is open today through Friday. The special election primary is slated for March 24, 2012. If a decision is not made during the 12th Saturday of next year, a runoff election date has been set for April 21, 2012.