Part-time mayor idea doesn’t sit well with Mitchell

Published 3:32 am Tuesday, September 22, 2020

ST. MARTINVILLE — The St. Martinville City Council voted Monday night to amend the city’s special charter, adding term limits for all elected city officials and making the mayor’s position a part-time job.

Under the proposed changes, the mayor and council members would be limited to three consecutive terms. The mayoral office would become a part-time position, with a salary of $30,000 annually.

“This was brought up at least 10 years ago, before I even knew Mayor Mitchell,” said Mayor Pro Tem Craig Prosper, who had the item added to the meeting’s agenda. “We need people to represent the city. We need to get some part-time people in here. This is something very easy to do part time.” 

To change the charter, the amendments will have to be sent to Baton Rouge for Gov. John Bel Edwards’ signature. 

“It’s a two-stage process,” said City Legal Counsel Allan Durand. “First it requires a majority vote of the council, then it goes to the gov for final approval. That’s what our charter says.”

Even though the council voted to not have the changes in the mayor’s status take effect until the next council — and mayor — is seated in two years, current Mayor Melinda Mitchell voiced her extreme opposition to the plan.

“I will be vetoing that,” Mitchell said immediately after Mayor Pro Tem Craig Prosper proposed reducing the mayor to part-time status. 

“How do you veto that?” Prosper asked.

“It’s not written in the charter, so I will have power and will be vetoing that,” Mitchell said. “The charter says ‘If the mayor elects to work full time.’ At this time I do not elect to work part time, so you would be violating the charter.”

What Mitchell was referring to in her response is a clause in the Lawrason Act, which establishes the basic template for municipal governments in Louisiana. According to the act, powers not addressed under a city’s charter are reserved for the mayor.

St. Martinville’s special charter, however, does speak to the legislative powers of the mayor, allowing the mayor to vote in a tie vote to break an impasse. It specifically does not give the mayor any other legislative voice or authority, such as veto power.

Mitchell has already twice tried to get the council to vote to revoke the city’s charter, instead reverting to government under the Lawrason Act. In recent months, she has called for such a move publicly in town halls and in radio interviews. She has also lobbied for support from legislators behind the scenes, saying that she needs “more power.”

“You intend to veto it?” asked Durand

“Yes,” Mitchell replied.

“I have some doubts about the validity to do that,” Durand said. 

“Right now,” Mitchell said. “I’m voting to veto it right now.”

Former Chief Administrative Officer Shedrick Berard spoke briefly in support of Mitchell.

“This is a regressive move,” Berard said. “People elected you as a full-time mayor.”

Berard resigned from his position as CAO immediately before a meeting of the council in which he likely would have been fired after massive problems in the city’s bookkeeping were discovered. 

“I will be calling a town hall meeting to hear this out,” Mitchell said.

Resident Nary Smith asked Prosper why he was choosing to call for these amendments now.

“Right now, we have plenty of time, not right next to the election,” Prosper said. “We’re at mid term, right at the middle of the term. I don’t think it is fair to do it two months before the election. If it doesn’t go through, then fine. But if someone is going to run for mayor, they need to know at least a year out whether it is being a full-time or part-time job.”

Both proposals passed by 3-2 votes.

The council also discussed extending the hours of operation for CIty Hall. Mitchell read through a proposed schedule that would open the drive-through payment window for utility customers earlier on weekdays and keep it open later, but would cut short the hours of operation on Fridays. Chief Administrative Officer Avis Gutekunst said the Friday traffic at the facility has been negligible, prompting the curtailing of hours on that day.

“With the COVID-19, it has been dead here on Friday,” Gutekunst said.

She said she would work on the schedules to see if it would be possible to stay open later on Fridays without incurring overtime and present the results at the next council meeting.

The council also met in executive session with an attorney for the estate of Mark Brignac, the owner of Evangeline Mobile Home Park. The city agreed to provide records requested as part of a legal action to the attorney without charge. The council will most likely go into executive session in its meeting on Oct. 5 to discuss the case again.

In other action, the council:

• Accepted bids on several adjudicated properties.

• Approved contracts for work to complete a football field at Adam Carlson Park.

• Approved the use of the Festival Grounds for a Community Healing Prayer Drive-In service.

• Rehired Douglas Simon on a part-time basis with the St. Martinville Police Department.