St. Mary Parish Council Appoints Charter Committee

by: Howard J. Castay, Jr.

By: Howard J. Castay, Jr.

A St Mary Parish Charter Review Committee will meet in two weeks to discuss possible changes to the parish’s charter, any of which would have to be presented before voters in parish wide election in order to gain approval.

All 11 members of the parish council appointed the committee, which is comprised of one representative from each of their respective districts.

The move comes in the wake of Parish Councilman Glen Hidalgo suggesting in May the council appoint the group to discuss amending the parish’s charter, in order to propose an amendment that would require parish government hold public hearings before making fiscal decisions over $10,000.

Currently, the St. Mary Parish Council can spend money on anything, without gaining public approval.

Hidalgo previously cited a past decision by the council to hire former State Rep. Jack Smith as their new capitol liaison with an initial salary of $50,000, (which Smith later resigned).
“It’s OK to give a recreation department $2,000 or $3,000 here and there, but to offer this job position at $50,000, to be paid for with public money, without the public input, is wrong. Taxpayers include the elderly, and many others who are on fixed incomes.”

“It’s time to look at bringing the charter up from 1983 to 2008 standards,” Hidalgo said.

The parish councilmen and their picks to comprise the committee are:

*Rev. Craig Matthews (District 1) – appointee - Jessie Boudreaux, owner of Cajun Mosquito Contractors

*Charles Middleton – (District 2) – appointee - Jeff Beverly – Housing Director of St Mary Community Action.

*David Hanagriff – (District 3) – appointee – Jim Supple, Franklin Attorney ( who lost a bid to become State Representative against Jack Smith roughly 20 years ago)

*Glen Hidalgo – (District 4) - appointee – Stan Robinson, owner of L & H Printing in Morgan City

*Ken Singleton – (District 5) – appointee – James Vidos, a member of the St. Mary Parish School Board and retired employee of Teche Federal Savings Bank.

*Logan Fromethal – (District 6) – appointee - Stan Beaubouef –director of Teacher Certification and Higher Education for the Louisiana State Department of Education, and a retired member of the St. Mary Parish School System. Former Principal of Berwick Jr. High School.

*Kevin Voisin – (District 7) – appointee – Sostenes Ruiz III, City of Morgan City Prosecutor

*Charles “Chuck” Walters – (District 8) – appointee – Lou Tamporello, Morgan City Councilman

*Albert Foulcard – (District 9) – appointee – Willie Rack – retired law enforcement officer, and Interim Clerk of Court, City of Franklin

*Steve Bierhorst – (District 10) – appointee – Phelo Joe Keller – physical therapist

*Gary Duhon – (District 11) – appointee – Bill Cefalu, Director of Utilities for the City of Morgan City and former St. Mary Parish President.

The committee will meet Tuesday, June 24, at 6 p.m., in the Bayou Vista Community Center. They will have a six-month time limit that begins at the first meeting date on June 24 and ends on Dec. 31.

Council Chairman Bierhorst said other assignments for the committee, although nothing is off limits for discussion, will be to: discuss the council’s executive authority; compensation for the parish resident; powers and duties of the parish president; compensation for the parish council; and term limits, along with compensation and qualifications for someone to be a member of the parish council.

The St. Mary Parish Council ratified their appointments during their meeting June 11.

Afterwards, Councilman Kevin Voisin said that although he is “curious” to see what the committee “comes up with” he would like them to complete their assignment soon, so that any decisions could be placed before voters on a November 4 ballot, due to election costs.

“Frankly, I would like to see the federal government bear the brunt of the costs of the election, rather than the parish,” he said.

St. Mary Parish has roughly 57 voting precincts. “Any time this council calls a special election, it costs us roughly $65,000. If the committee can get their business done soon, any of their ideas can be considered as we all consider a presidential nominee this fall,” Voisin said.

In other business, the Council:

*Will call an election on July 19 to continue the collection of the three-tenths percent sales and use tax in Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 10 in western St. Mary. Proceeds of the tax, estimated in the resolution at $600,000 a year, would be split on a pro-rata basis between the parish, Baldwin and Franklin.

*Will call an election on Oct. 4 for the Wax Lake East Drainage District, to renew its 2-mill maintenance and operating property tax for 10 years

In other matters, the council appointed Glenn Elliott to the Wax Lake East Drainage District; Richard D. Martin and Lloyd Smith Sr. to Recreation District 2; Ray Rentrop to Sewer District 8; Al Kuhlman, Sandra Marshall and Patsy Metz to the Tourist Commission; and Wendell Bogan and Glenn Blood to Waterworks District