The St. Martinville City Council narrowly approved authorizing the mayor to pay more than $4,000 for a consultant to educate local residents about the town’s legislative charter in the coming weeks leading up to a crucial vote on whether or not to discard it during the May 4 election. 

Mayor Jason Willis proposed hiring Karen White, who served with the Louisiana Municipal Association for several years, to host public events like town halls and other educational content in order to get the St. Martinville public up to speed on what it would mean to dispense with the 130-year-old special legislative charter. 

If approved by the public, the charter will be replaced with the Lawrason Act, which is a standard governing model used by most Louisiana municipalities. The discarding of the special charter would mean removing the governing document that has been apart of St. Martinville since its inception. 

“We need to educate the people,” Willis said, “We owe the people, in order to make a sound decision they have to know what they are voting for.”

White has been employed with the LMA for 30 years and now does independent consulting work. Willis said after consulting several experts, all agreed she was the proper person to hire for the job. The mayor said he hopes for at least two town halls in March local residents can attend to know what they are voting for. 

Councilman Mike Fusilier said he opposed adopting the Lawrason Act. One of the strengths of St. Martinville’s legislative charter, Fusilier said, was a strong council system that would be discarded if the town decided to adopt the Lawrason Act instead. 

“This is going to be a big change,” Fusilier said. “Hiring, firing and promotions will be done by one person instead of by several people. I feel a strong council system is best because it’s the most representative type of government.”

Councilwoman Flo Chatman offered a motion to approve the consulting fee, and added that the decision should ultimately be left to St. Martinville’s residents. 

“It’s the people’s choice, not ours,” Chatman said.