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Police Jury meets candidates for parish sect.-treas.

Crowley - If the discussion during Tuesday night’s committee meeting did not scare off the candidates secretary-treasurer position, the Police Jury has a good field from which to choose a replacement for Laura Faul.
Four of five candidates to replace Faul, who resigned in February to accept a position with the parish Sheriff’s Office, introduced themselves to jurors during the Personnel Committee meeting Tuesday night.
Immediately thereafter, Charles King of Crowley addressed the meeting to say that he disagreed with an earlier opinion by District Attorney Keith Stutes that the jury’s appointment to the position of treasurer, by state law, must be for a period of two years, not simply to fill the unexpired term of the outgoing treasurer.
King cited Attorney General’s opinions in making his remarks, adding that he was of the opinion that the candidates should be informed that their appointments will only be through the end of this year, at which time the appointee may or may not be reappointed.
Stutes responded, saying that he stands by his original opinion.
“If you don’t want my opinion, then don’t ask me for my opinion,” the district attorney said, adding that he had reached his February decision after extensive research.
“My opinion is just that, my opinion,” Stutes said. “I’m a lawyer. I’m the district attorney. That was my opinion. Mr. King is not an attorney, although he certainly is opinionated.
“I stand by my opinion but, ultimately, what you choose to do is up to you.”
David Savoy, jury president, while not outright disagreeing with the district attorney, said that he feels that the new appointee, by law, must be reappointed for two years come January.
Asked if they had a problem with that scenario, the four candidates present said they did not.
Applicants for the position were introduced in the order in which their applications were received. They include:
• Terry Lacombe of Egan, a former secretary-treasurer of the jury and one of the applicants when Faul was appointed in 2016.
“I’ve been here before and my offer still stands,” Lacombe said, referring to his offer to work for $15,000 a year with no insurance or benefits.
“I’m on Social Security and that’s all I can make,” he explained.
• Renada Broussard of Lyons Point, who said she has “a lot of experience with budgets and personnel management” from her previous work in landscaping and the oilfield.
• Mark Daigle of Rayne, the current Director of Planning, Zoning and Flood Plain Enforcement, who said his four years of service with the city “opened my eyes to a different spectrum. You don’t get into public service for the money.”
• Melissa Scanlan of Branch, a college graduate “in the medical field” with “great organizational skills, a people person.”
Unable to attend Tuesday night’s meeting was Radona Leonberger.
No date was set for the hiring of the new secretary-treasurer.

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