Parish panel to consider home-rule charter revisions

The St. Landry Parish Council’s Administrative & Finance Committee is being asked to consider whether the home-rule charter needs an overhaul.
Council member Pam Gautreau, pointing out grey areas in the document adopted by voters in 2003, said “it’s in the best interest of the parish to reconvene a Home Rule Charter Commission and tighten it up.”
The police jury system was succeeded by the council-president system. The next four-year election is in 2015.
Gautreau said she just wants to open a discussion of whether there are charter areas that need re-working.
“I think it would be in everyone’s interest to be clear in the charter, with no agendas of anyone,” she said.
Ambiguity in some of the charter’s provisions in some instances had to be resolved by the district court.
She did not say what areas she is most concerned about, though she did say “I feel that we continue to bypass. I would like to have another look and after that possible allow the people to vote on some amendments.”
The charter creates a strong manager system, reserving for the council legislative functions but giving essentially all day-to-day management decisions to the parish president.
Some contend it strays too far from the former police jury system.