Bellard resigns, cites adverse effects of opposition

Jessie Bellard threw in the towel Wednesday, resigning effective Sept. 30 as St. Landry Parish President Bill Fontenot’s right-hand man.
Bellard’s decision comes “with a heavy heart” after almost three years of relentless opposition to his continuing parish employment following Fontenot’s election.
Bellard said the degree of that opposition has become too much, putting his family through the wringer and impacting his health.
“Unfortunately, there are certain council members that have made it clear that they want me out of government and now they have joined forces with other groups to make that happen,” Bellard wrote Fontenot.
“I love my job here and was looking forward to a long career, but I refused to put my family through this any longer,” he said.
Bellard has been in parish government for 10 1/2 years.
Dissatisfaction with him by some council members began during the administration of previous parish president Don Menard, who was his uncle, and carried over into Fontenot’s tenure.
Fontenot has repeatedly rejected suggestions by those council members that he should get rid of Bellard, who he has termed a valued employee.
Bellard said in his letter he would like to stay until the end of September in order to complete the proposed 2015 budget and train his replacement.