No discussion on proposed amendments

Published 6:00 am Thursday, November 9, 2017

After lengthy statements from two Iberia Home Rule Charter ad-hoc committee members, the Iberia Parish Council had no discussion on amendments to the Home Rule Charter. 

Despite the fact there was an item on the agenda to discuss and review proposed changes to the charter, Executive Committee Chairman Joel Dugas asked council members for input, to no response.

At the beginning of the meeting, committee members Troy Comeaux and Korey Kimball, who each served twice on an ad-hoc committee to review the charter, spoke in favor of bringing three controversial amendments to a public vote.

“I am a two-time survivor of the ad-hoc committee,” Comeaux said with a laugh. “The majority of these people (on this committee) were different. We had some very good discussions. The point is that the same items came back for discussion and made the highlight reel.”

“I respectfully ask that you let them go to the voters unchanged so we can put these items to rest and move on.”

Kimball called it hypocrisy for the items not to go to ballot.

“How can you say with a straight face you are for representation of the people and not allow the people to vote on it,” Kimball said. “It’s hypocrisy. Whether you’re afraid, for or against it, it’s irrelevant.”

The council had a lengthy discussion two weeks ago concerning three recommendations from the ad-hoc committee. Those included reducing the IPC’s size from 14 members to nine members, Parish Council pay and parish president pay.

After a limit of substitute motions were made, none of the three were moved forward at that meeting. There was a unanimous vote to move forward a consolidated set of proposed changes for other updates, however.

In other business, the council expanded the agenda to include an executive session to discuss a settlement agreement between Iberia Parish Government and former Parish President Errol “Romo” Romero.

District Attorney Bo Duhe and special counsel Gary McGoffin addressed the council while the session was closed to the public for approximately 30 minutes. Once it ended, Councilman Ricky Gonsoulin made a motion to continue proceedings against Romo. The motion passed 10-2.