January 2017

January 2017 Page 1 

Louisiana Municipal Review 

See Page 6 for election results for 

councilmembers and mayors 

John Gallagher Named 

LMA Executive Director 

By Kelly Drone 

LMA Communications Director 

As of January 

1st, the association 

is being 

led by longtime 

LMA employee 

and staff 

counsel John 

Gallagher. The 

decision was 

made by the 

LMA Executive 

Board at a 

special meeting held on December 13, 

2016. After much thought and consideration 

from the search committee, three 

of the six candidates were recommended 

to the executive board. After each finalist 

was interviewed by the LMA board, 

Gallagher emerged as the seventh executive 

director in our association’s history. 

A fourth-generation attorney and native 

of Shreveport, John Gallagher has 

been with the LMA for nearly 17 years 

and has a wealth of knowledge regarding 

municipal government. During his years 

of dedicated service, he has forged many 

beneficial relationships and has gained an 

impressive fluency regarding the law and 

PRESORT 

STANDARD 

U. S. POSTAGE 

PAID 

BATON ROUGE, LA 

PERMIT #319 

John Gallagher 

VOLUME 82, NUMBER 1 PUBLISHED BY THE LOUISIANA MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION 

JANUARY 2017 

how it pertains to local government. In 

his previous capacity, Gallagher served as 

LMA Director of Governmental Affairs/ 

Counsel and oversaw the legislative efforts 

on behalf of the LMA and its member 

municipalities. He also served as 

liaison to the Louisiana City Attorneys 

Association and Building Officials 

Association of Louisiana. Additionally, 

he serves on the International Municipal 

Lawyers Association as the Louisiana 

state chair. He came to the LMA after 

working as an assistant attorney general 

for the Louisiana Department of Justice. 

Gallagher is liscensed to practice law in 

the states of Louisiana and Texas and also 

served on the staff of U.S. Senator John 

Breaux in Washington, D.C., from 1988 

to 1992. 

In his capacity as executive director, 

Gallagher will serve on the Louisiana 

Municipal Advisory and Technical 

Services Bureau (LaMATS) board, 

act as President of Risk Management 

Inc. (RMI), and as Administrator for 

Louisiana Municipal Risk Management 

Agency (LMRMA). He will continue 

to serve on the Restore Louisiana Task 

See GALLAGHER, Page 13 



During 

the month of 

December, 

Mayor Hilda 

Curry of New 

Iberia was 

honored by 

the Louisiana 

Municipal 

Association 

(LMA) and 

subsidiaries for Mayor Hilda Curry 

her unparalleled leadership during the 

past 17 years as a public servant. 

Mayor Hilda Curry served the City 

of New Iberia as a councilwoman from 

2000-2004, and as the mayor from 

2005-2016. New Iberia limits a person 

from serving more than three terms 

causing Mayor Curry to be term limited. 

Join Us for the Mid-Winter Conference 

Keynote Speaker Governor Edwards Confirmed 



LMA is pleased to announce Governor 

John Bel Edwards as our keynote speaker 

at the Mid-Winter Conference, February 

6-7 at the Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge. 

While 2016 is behind us, there is still 

aftermath of the March and August floods 

that remain with most of us as we embark 

on a new year. As some of us try to restore 

what was, many can’t help but think it 

could happen again. 

The LMA has been and still is available 

to connect members with the proper personnel 

in assisting recovery efforts. LMA 

Deputy Director of Disaster Recovery 

Brett Kriger has been contracted to provide 

this assistance to our members and 

help produce valuable information and 

training to help those affected. 

The LMA is dedicating one day 

of workshops during the Mid-Winter 

Conference for Municipal Officials on 

disaster preparation, maximizing disaster 

recovery opportunities, and a panel discussing 

lessons learned. Kriger will preside 

over the workshops being presented 

by Executive Director and Founder of 

LeadersLink, Kathleen Koch; Director of 

Recovery Assistance John Morehead with 

the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office; 

and our panelists compiled of Mayor 

Vern Breland, Mayor David Camardelle, 

Mayor Gerard Landry, Mayor Harry 

Lewis, Mayor Jr. Shelton, and Mayor 

Darnell Waites. 

Award-winning journalist and 

best-selling author Kathleen Koch shares 

LMA President and Mayor of 

Gonzales Barney Arceneaux presented 

Mayor Hilda Curry with a shadow 

box declaring her years on the LMA 

Executive Board and honoring her statewide 

contributions to municipal affairs. 

Mayor Curry served two terms as LMA 

District Vice President at Large, LMA 

Second Vice President, LMA First Vice 

President, and LMA President from 

2012 to 2013. During her last year on 

the LMA board, Mayor Curry received 

the President’s Award by Mayor Carroll 

Breaux of Springhill at the 79 th Annual 

LMA Convention. 

Mayor Curry was also recognized by 

Risk Management Inc. (RMI) for her 

years of service and strong leadership 

as she helped guide the management 

of the self-funded indemnity programs. 

See CURRY, Page 10 

Governor 

John Bel Edwards 

her knowledge, experience, and compassion 

with audiences who want to succeed 

and thrive, even when the going gets 

tough. Kathleen draws on her 18 years 

as a correspondent for CNN. She covered 

Hurricane Katrina and wrote two 

award-winning documentaries on her 

hometown’s recovery from the storm. 

The second day of the Mid-Winter 

Conference will focus on “Municipal 

Essentials.” The workshops will cover 

LaMATS programs and services, the 

Lawrason Act, mayor and chief of police 

relations, municipal employment and 

payroll, open meeting and public records, 

top ten issues from the Legislative 

Auditor, and the Code of Governmental 

See MID-WINTER, Page 8 

Retiring Mayor Hilda Curry of New Iberia Honored 

LMA President Barney Arceneaux honors 

Mayor Hilda Curry at her last LMA 

board meeting.

Page 2 


LaMATS To Launch New Online Procurement 

 

Service For LMA Members 

January 2017 

This month LaMATS launches a new 

online procurement service 

specifically for LMA members, designed 

to deliver savings, streamline the 

purchasing of goods and services and 

improve outreach to 

suppliers looking to do 

business with Louisiana 

municipalities and 

parishes. 

The LaMATS BidBoard 

Procurement Network 

will offer sealed bidding 

and reverse auction capabilities 

allowing purchaseing agents 

to invite qualified vendors 

to submit bids for contracts 

through its secure web portal. In 

addition, the service will include an 

online catalog of vendor contracts 

which will provide extensive “shopping” 

opportunities for registered users. 

“We’re pleased to bring this 

proven procurement solution 

to our municipalities.” 

—LaMATS President Mayor 

Eugene Smith 

“We’re pleased to bring this proven 

procurement solution to our 

municipalities,” said LaMATS President 

Mayor Eugene Smith. “By expanding our 

supplier pool, we will increase 

competition for municipal 

business, reduce costs and 

establish fair market pricing 

for goods and services.” 

One of the largest initiatives 

for LaMATS in the last 

decade, the new 

procurement service 

promises significant benefit to LMA 

members, and will add value along with a 

host of existing services such as 

municipal debt recovery, salary and 

benefits data, grant research assistance 

and insurance premium tax collection. 

“We believe LaMATS BidBoard will be a 

big win for members, vendors and 

citizens alike,” said Mayor Smith. 

HOW DOES IT WORK? Let’s say your municipality 

needs to purchase manhole covers… 

Analyze: The municipal buyer analyzes its current 

supply of manhole covers and its history of purchases 

to determine the quantity needed, the delivery 

timeframe and available budget. 

Develop: Specifications are determined and provided 

to the LaMATS BidBoard Procurement Network 

support team. The support team helps determines the 

best procurement method—reverse auction, sealed 

bid or contract catalog approach—and makes a 

recommendation to the buyer for approval. 

Qualify: The support team provides the municipal 

buyer with a list of potential vendors. 

Negotiate: In a reverse auction, for example, the 

support team uploads the RFQ and specifications and 

notifies qualified vendors of the process. Bids are 

received in real-time and made available to the buyer 

for viewing. 

Evaluate: The system ranks bids automatically and 

provides evaluation tools to the buyer. 

Award: The buyer selects the winner(s) of the event 

and awards the contract. 

Interview with Cliff Palmer, Executive Director, LaMATS About the New 

LaMATS BidBoard Procurement Network Service 

Q: What were some of the reasons LaMATS 

decided to offer this service to LMA 

members? 

A: LaMATS is committed to offering our 

members solutions that will help them deliver 

outstanding service to citizens. Given today’s 

budget pressures, it’s important to look for 

ways to operate efficiently and responsibly. 

E-Procurement solutions like the LaMATS 

BidBoard provide a common-sense approach 

to address rising costs and gain significant 

savings for taxpayers. 

Also, we know the Louisiana Legislature has 

been encouraging local governments to 

migrate to more contemporary means of 

procurement. New legislation in 2016 

mandated a move to electronic bidding portals 

by municipalities over a certain size. Our 

BidBoard Procurement Network will address 

these needs, and we’re excited to provide it to 

members. 

Q: What are some of the benefits LMA 

members can expect? 

In addition to achieving significant savings, the 

online platform saves time and increases 

efficiency for both the buyer and vendor by 

eliminating paper-based systems for 

purchasing. The network will also make it 

easier for buyers to share contract 

information, which will lead to efficient 

aggregate buying and “piggybacking” 

where allowed by law. 

Q: When will the portal be available to 

members? 

The portal will be available in January 

2017. We expect to offer new products 

and services that members need on a 

regular basis. These may include auto 

parts, office supplies, computer hardware 

and peripherals, new and used vehicles, 

heavy equipment, HVAC repair and 

replacement services, uniforms, park and 

playground equipment and materials and 

aggregates. We are working with an 

Advisory Panel of members experienced 

in municipal procurement to ensure the 

service meets the needs of the LMA 

community. 

LMA Members will be able to post their 

own reverse auction and sealed bid 

opportunities the moment the site goes live 

and once they register as a buyer. 

Q: How can members find out more? 

LMA members can visit 

www.lamatsbidboard.com to find out more. 

Registration for the service will open in 

January, and rest assured, we will notify 

members when the LaMATS BidBoard 

Procurement Network is open for 

business! 

Be sure to look for us at the LMA Mid- 

Winter Conference for Municipal Officials, 

Baton Rouge, February 6-7, where we will 

be presenting and demonstrating the site. 

A roadshow is also planned at various 

locations across the state later this winter. 

LaMATS Executive Director, 

Cliff Palmer 

 

IN BRIEF 

The LaMATS BidBoard Procurement Network is Louisiana’s “homegrown” purchasing 

service established to bring efficiencies and savings to municipalities and other local 

governments, an important consumer block deserving of savings and efficiencies that 

networking organizations can provide.



By John Bel Edwards 

Governor of Louisiana 

Happy New Year! Thank you for working with me toward 

the shared goal of creating a better Louisiana. What we do today 

will impact generations to come. LMA’s input is important 

in the future development of our state and I look forward to 

accomplishing great things together in 2017. 

Congratulations to John Gallagher, your new executive 

director. John brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and 

leadership skills to his new position. Congratulations are also 

in order for newly elected U.S. Senator John Kennedy, and 

U.S. Representatives Mike Johnson and Clay Higgins. The 

Louisiana congressional delegation is going to be pivotal in 

helping to secure much needed additional federal dollars to 

meet the challenges communities are facing as they continue 

to recover from the devastating floods in March and August 

of 2016. We will also need the help and support of President 

Donald Trump. I met with him during his most recent visit 

here. He expressed his love for Louisiana and I shared that we 

look forward to working with him and his administration on 

By Barney Arceneaux 

LMA President 

As we begin yet another new year, I 

wanted to take the time to wish each of 

you peace, prosperity and a continued 

dedication for making each individual 

Louisiana community the best it can 

possibly be, 

2016 is a year that many of us are 

sure to be bidding a fond farewell to. 

From budgetary issues to floods, we in 

Louisiana have seen our fair share of 

heartache. The hope that 2017 will bring 

with it a better, simpler way to move our 

communities forward is a thought many 

of us hope becomes a reality. 

But 2016 wasn’t all bad. Many of our 

communities saw growth in both population 

and commerce. Louisiana saw 

high numbers of tourism dollars in a 

Governor’s Column 

Happy New Year 

the important issues concerning our 

state. 

January 11 marks my one year 

anniversary of being office. It’s hard 

to believe the time has passed by so 

quickly. I can tell you that 2016 was 

challenging but rewarding, and I am 

privileged to serve as governor of our 

great state. 

A reporter recently asked me what 

was the most difficult of the challenges 

I faced last year. It was Sunday morning, 

July 17, as I was getting ready for 

church when I learned that a gunman from Kansas City had 

shot six Baton Rouge police officers, three of whom lost their 

lives in the line of duty. It was tragic on so many levels and I 

continue to pray for their families, our community and state 

as we heal from its devastating impact. There are some serious 

issues that must be addressed when it comes to the relation- 

See GOVERNOR, Page 12 

President’s Message 

A Wish for a New Year 

number of our regions. Most of all, we 

saw a strength and a resilience in the 

people of our communities. Our citizenry 

came together in times of great need, 

which was a refreshing reminder of the 

importance of staying in tune with our 

constituents. 

I urge each of you to look at 2017 as 

a time of improvement. Find small tasks 

within your towns and cities that are 

easy to carry out. Clean up and revitalize 

parks or green spaces. This can be a simple 

way of letting the community know 

that you care. Offer up more meet and 

greets with your local residents. Finding 

out what their concerns for a better and 

brighter future may be could very easily 

see great changes and improvements being 

made. 

Pick a larger project this year, and 

Director’s Viewpoint 

A New Year, a Bright Future 

By John Gallagher 

LMA Executive Director 

I am excited to bring to you the 

first Executive Director’s message of 

2017. After 17 years of service to the 

LMA as staff attorney and Director of 

Governmental Affairs, I was honored 

and humbled to be elected by the LMA 

Executive Board as the association’s seventh 

executive director on December 

13, 2016. With this appointment 

comes great responsibility, one which I 

will never take lightly. 

The LMA staff and I are eager to 

rededicate our efforts toward a very 

successful 2017. On February 6 and 

7, we will hold the 2017 LMA Mid- 

Winter Conference in Baton Rouge. I 

am pleased to announce that Governor 

John Bel Edwards will be our featured 

luncheon speaker on Tuesday, 

February 7. The conference will kick 

off on Monday by focusing on disaster 

recovery, starting with a 30-minute 

documentary film on Hurricane 

Katrina produced by Ms. Kathleen 

Koch. Ms. Koch an award-winning 

author and founder/ executive director 

of LeadersLink, an association formed 

to allow elected officials to share lessons 

learned through natural disasters. 

Ms. Koch also spent 18 years covering 

the White House, Pentagon, State 

Department, Capitol Hill, and nearly 

every natural disaster during her tenure 

as a correspondent for CNN. She 

will lead a panel discussion with several 

mayors, including Mayor David 

Camardelle of Grand Isle, who appears 

in her film. The second day of the conference 

will impart critical information 

Governor 

John Bel Edwards 

make it known 

to your residents. 

Show 

an effort to 

provide people 

with a platform 

to discuss 

what this 

project may be. 

We sometimes 

forget that we 

work on behalf Mayor 

of many different 

men and 

Barney Arceneaux 

women with 

many different requests, but pick one 

that will benefit your community as a 

whole and make it happen. The results 

may astonish you, and leave a legacy 

See PRESIDENT, Page 12 

and provide 

the tools necessary 

to be 

successful in 

governing your 

municipalities. 

I urge everyone 

to attend this 

conference. 

We will also 

soon begin John Gallagher 

preparations 

for the 2017 Regular Session of the 

Legislature, which convenes on April 

10. It will be a fiscal session, and the 

anticipated legislative focus will be on 

addressing the continued state budget 

deficit. This will be an important 

session for municipalities, so we will 

See DIRECTOR, Page 12 

The Louisiana Municipal Review, the official publication 

of the Louisiana Municipal Association, serves as a medium 

of exchange of ideas and information for municipal officials 

in Louisiana. Published monthly, the Louisiana Municipal 

Review, circulation 3,550, is read by all mayors, governing body 

members, administrators, clerks, attorneys, chiefs of police, 

chiefs of fire, other key employees of Louisiana municipal 

governments, sheriffs, parish presidents, state government 

officials, members of the state Legislature and Congressional 

Delegation, and others. 

Subscription rate: $24 per year; Single copy: $2. Louisiana 

residents, add 9 percent sales tax. 

Editorial offices: Louisiana Municipal Association, 700 North 

10th Street, Suite 400, Post Office Box 4327, Baton Rouge, LA 

70821-4327, (225) 344-5001, (800) 234-8274, FAX (225) 344- 

3057. 

MUNICIPAL REVIEW STAFF 

editor@lma.org 

Baton Rouge Press, Inc., Production Coordinator 

Statements or expressions of opinions appearing herein are 

those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Louisiana 

Municipal Association. Publication of any advertisement shall 

not be considered an endorsement of the product or service 

involved. No material from this publication may be reprinted 

without the express permission of the editor. 

Rates for display, professional-listing, and classified advertising 

available upon request. 

(225) 344-5001, FAX (225) 344-3057, editor@lma.org. 

Third class postage paid at Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

LOUISIANA MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION 

Internet Home Page – www.lma.org 

Editorial Office – editor@lma.org 

LMA EXECUTIVE BOARD 

President 

Barney Arceneaux 

Mayor, Gonzales 

First Vice President 

Lawrence Henagan 

Mayor, DeQuincy 

Second Vice President 

Harry Lewis 

Mayor, Rayville 

District Vice Presidents: “A”– Jimmy Williams, Mayor, Sibley; 

“B”– Eugene Smith, Mayor, Arcadia; “C” – Paxton Branch, Mayor, 

Tallulah; “D” – Lee Posey, Mayor, Natchitoches; “E”– Nathan 

Martin, Councilman, Pineville; “F”– Purvis Morrison, Mayor, 

Scott; “G”– Greg Jones, Mayor, Crowley; “H” – Michael Chauffe, 

Mayor, Grosse Tete; “I” – Donald Villere, Mandeville; Mayor, “J” – 

Rodney Grogan, Mayor, Patterson. 

Vice Presidents at Large: Mark Piazza, Mayor, Abbeville; 

Jennifer Vidrine, Mayor, Ville Platte; Kenneth Stinson, Mayor, 

Vinton; Lucy Holtzclaw, Mayor Pro Tem, Sterlington; Kevin 

Colligan, Mayor, Cankton. 

Past Presidents: Carroll Breaux, Mayor, Springhill; David 

Camardelle, Mayor, Grand Isle; Vern Breland, Mayor, Sterlington; 

Glenn L. Brasseaux, Mayor, Carencro; Clarence R. Fields, Mayor, 

Pineville; David C. Butler, II, Mayor, Woodworth; and Norman E. 

“Pete” Heine, Councilman, Baker. 

Presidents of Affiliate Organizations: Greg Jones, Pineville, 

Louisiana City Attorneys Association; Gwen Martin, Carencro, 

Municipal Clerks Association; Randy Albarez, Zachary, 

Recreation and Parks Association; Gail Howell, Shreveport, 

Association of Tax Administrators; Hilda Edwards, Ville Platte, 

Association of Municipal Secretaries and Assistants; Blake 

Steiner, Rapides Area Planning Commission, Building Officials 

Association; Chief Chad Roberson, Baton Rouge, Secretary, LA 

Fire Chiefs Association; Janet Gonzales, President, LA Airport 

Managers and Associates; and Warren Ponder, Baton Rouge, 

Executive Director, Municipal Employees Retirement System. 

Advisory Board Members: Lorenz Walker, Mayor, Bossier City, 

Conference of Mayors; Chief Michael Suchanek, DeQuincy, 

President, LA Association of Chiefs of Police; and Patrick 

Credeur, Executive Director, Rural Water Association. 

LMA STAFF 

John A. Gallagher, Executive Director 

Dinah “Penny” Ambeau-Scott, Paralegal/LMA 

Cami Barlow, Executive Assistant / Office Administrator 

Bettie J. Bean, Receptionist 

Samantha Bell, LMGA Accountant 

Jennifer Bourgeois, Senior Accountant 

Paeton Burkett, Defense Counsel 

E. Jerry Cronin, General Manager, Risk Management, Inc. 

Susanne Diez, Administrative Assistant 

Kelly Drone, Communications Director 

Ken B. Drone, LMGA Managing Director 

Paul Holmes, Procurement Manager 

Gerald Johnson, Customer Service Representative 

Amber Jones, Senior Administrative Assistant 

Mary Joseph, LaMATS Program Manager 

Brett Kriger, Deputy Director of Disaster Recovery 

Kerry Landry, Chief Financial Officer 

Hannah Michelli, Accountant 

Bill Mulkey, Customer Service Representative 

Bradley C. “Brad” Myers, Legal Counsel 

Cliff Palmer, LaMATS Executive Director 

Nikki Samrow, Events Director 

J. Scott Thomas, Senior Defense Counsel 

Erin Walker, Paralegal/Legal Department 

Mike S. Walker, Information Technology Director 

Karen White, Assistant Director of Governmental Affairs 

OFFICE HOURS: 

8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday 

8:00 a.m.-12:00 noon Friday 

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LOUISIANA MUNICIPAL REVIEW 

Post Office Box 4327 

Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4327

Page 4 

endeavor. Details: Contact Mike Walker, 

CITAP Manager, (225) 344-5001, (800) 

234-8274, mwalker@lma.org. Village of Bonita – Mayor Floyd Baker 



Town o 

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CALL (225) 344-5001 or VISIT WWW.LAMATS.NET/SERVICES 

More Powerful 

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CALL (225) 344-5001



Real Progress Is Happening on 

Criminal Justice Reform 

By Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc 

Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections 

Years of progress reforming 

Louisiana’s criminal justice system is 

bringing real results, and we are now on 

the precipice of true systematic change 

to our justice system that could make 

Louisiana a model for the nation. After 

devoting my career to public safety and 

reforming Louisiana’s prisons, it is exciting 

to witness how our state is finally 

in a position to reverse generations of 

policies that have made Louisiana the 

prison capital of the world. In an age 

of so much partisan hostility, it is extra 

special that these reforms are being 

supported and implemented by a broad 

coalition of Republicans, Democrats, 

faith leaders, law enforcement officials, 

District Attorneys, Sheriffs, business 

leaders, and others members of the 

criminal justice community. 

Personally, I have now served as 

Secretary of Department of Corrections 

for two governors, one Republican 

and one Democrat. Before serving as 

Secretary, I served a variety of roles under 

other administrations as well. I am 

proud of the fact that the reforms we 

have fought for have been continuous, 

with very few changes in tactics whether 

there was a Republican or Democrat 

in the Governor’s Office. It is because 

of that continuity and commitment 

By Karen Day White 

LMA Assistant Director of Governmental Affairs 

Louisiana has realized that it is in 

dire fiscal straits, and state leaders are 

scrambling to find new sources of revenue 

to fill the glaring budget gaps. 

Often, local governments suffer during 

such times of monetary famine. That 

makes it all the more critical to focus 

on a tax loophole that costs municipalities 

billions of dollars every year: 

online sales. Indeed, each year in the 

U.S., an estimated $23 billion in owed 

local sales tax remains uncollected from 

these online transactions. This is money 

that could be used to fund public 

safety initiatives, infrastructure repair, 

economic development projects, and 

essential services for residents. Since 

80% of Americans now live in cities (as 

opposed to just 14% a century ago), the 

demand for resources is at an all-time 

high. 

The online sales tax loophole also 

puts local brick-and-mortar retailers at 

an automatic five to 10 percent competitive 

disadvantage to online sellers, 

since those stores collect the mandatory 

sales tax at the point of purchase. 

This year, more shoppers participated 

in Cyber Monday than Black Friday, so 

local retailers – who are a vital part of 

our community fabric - felt the effects 

more than ever. 

Legal Briefs 

Let’s Be Fair 

to reform that we have finally begun 

to reduce our prison population and 

successfully rehabilitate thousands of 

ex-offenders. 

Since 2011, Louisiana’s prison population 

has declined 10.5 percent, which 

puts us on a short list of states that have 

shown reducing incarceration numbers 

is possible. With our state spending 

approximately $700 million annually 

on all of corrections, this 10.5 percent 

reduction in the offender population 

equates to a cumulative taxpayer savings 

of roughly $38 million per year. 

Likewise, we have also seen a reduction 

in recidivism rates by approximately 

eight percent. These reductions mean 

that more of our state’s citizens are able 

to re-join the workforce after being released. 

It means that we can have more 

individuals contributing to their communities 

and our state, as opposed to 

being a drain on society. 

The successes we have achieved are 

largely due to the reestablishment of 

the Sentencing Commission as well as 

the investments that we, alongside the 

sheriffs, district attorneys, and judges, 

have made in the transition system 

that ex-offenders go through during 

incarceration, along with after being 

released from prison. Just a few of the 

See REFORM, Page 11 

These realities 

have 

spurred both 

state and federal 

legislation, 

but due to the 

nature of online 

retailer 

transactions, a 

federal mandate 

permitting Karen White 

taxation of online 

purchases is necessary. The general 

term given to the notion of even-handed 

application of sales taxation for online 

purchases is “E-fairness.” Louisiana has 

begun the arduous task of streamlining 

and simplifying its tax structure, something 

that will likely be a prerequisite to 

online sales tax collection. 

During the first session of the 114 th 

Congress, federal legislators introduced 

two instruments along these lines: the 

Remote Transactions Parity Act of 

2015 (H.R. 2775) and the Marketplace 

Fairness Act of 2015 (S. 698). The 

LMA has worked in conjunction with 

the National League of Cities to emphasize 

the importance of E-fairness 

legislation to municipal funding. And 

as we approach the commencement of 

the 115 th Congress, we pledge to continue 

our cooperation with NLC and 

See LEGAL, Page 13 

2017 Regular Session of the 

Louisiana Legislature Reminders 

Important Dates & Deadlines: The 2017 Regular Session will 

convene for 45 legislative days during a 60 calendar-day period at 

12:00 noon on Monday, April 10, 2017 and will adjourn no later than 

6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 8, 2017 (Const. Art. III, Section 2 (A) 

(4)(a)). 

Subject Matter is limited to the following three classes of bills: 

Class I: Measure to enact a general appropriation bill: enact the 

comprehensive capital budget; make an appropriation; levy or authorize 

a new tax; increase an existing tax; levy, authorize, increase, decrease, 

or repeal a fee; dedicate revenue; legislate with regard to tax 

exemptions, exclusions, deductions, reductions, repeals, or credits; or 

legislate with regard to issuance of bonds. 

Class II: Local or special bills (those which are constitutionally required 

to be and have been advertised) 

Class III: Any other subject matter not covered by Class I or Class 

II. 

Note: ALL Class III bills MUST be PREFILED, and no member 

may prefile more than 5 such bills. There is no limit for prefiling Class 

I or Class II bills, but only 5 such bills may be introduced after session 

begins (Const. Art. III, ‘2(A)(4)(b)). 

Prefiling Deadlines: 

• Retirement: Any retirement bill (including any retirement bill 

that is also a Constitutional 

Amendment) that is to be prefiled must be REQUESTED before 

5:00 PM, Wednesday, 

February 22, 2017, and PREFILED before 5:00 PM, Friday, 

February 24, 2017 (Const. Art. III, 

‘2(A)(2)(c) and House Rule 7.2(F)). 

• Constitutional Amendments: ALL other Constitutional 

Amendments must be REQUESTED before Noon, Wednesday, 

March 29, 2017, and PREFILED before Noon, Friday, March 31, 

2017 (Const. Art. XIII, ‘1(A) and House Rule 7.2(F)). 

• Other Bills: Any other bill that is to be prefiled must be 

REQUESTED before 5:00 PM, Wednesday, March 29, 2017, and 

PREFILED before 5:00 PM, Friday, March 31, 2017 (Const. Art. III, 

‘2(A)(2)(b) and House Rule 7.2(F)). 

Bills for Session Introduction: 

• A member may introduce not more than five additional bills after 

session begins. Such bills must be REQUESTED by 6:00 PM, Tuesday, 

April 18, 2017, and INTRODUCED by 6:00 PM, Wednesday, April 

19, 2017 (Const. Art. III, ‘2(A)(2)(a) and (4)(a) and House Rule 

7.6(A)(3)). 

Constitutionally required Advertisement: 

• Retirement: Publication in The Advocate on two separate days 

at least 60 days prior to introduction. Notice for a retirement bill to 

be introduced on the first day of session must be submitted to The 

Advocate by Thursday, February 2, 2017. For Session introduction, 

a retirement bill must be submitted to The Advocate by Monday, 

February 13, 2017 (Const. Art. X, ‘29(C)). 

• Security Districts: Publication in the official journal of the locality 

on three separate days at least 30 days prior to introduction. To 

be safe, for first-day introduction, local bills to create security districts 

should be requested by Wednesday, February 8, 2017; thereafter, opportunity 

to publish local notice is dependent on circumstances with 

local newspaper (Const. Art. III, ‘13(B)). 

• Local Bills: Publication in the official journal of the locality on 

two separate days at least 30 days prior to introduction. To be safe, for 

first-day introduction, local bills should be requested by Wednesday, 

February 15, 2017; thereafter, opportunity to publish local notice is 

dependent on circumstances with local newspaper (Const. Art. III, 

‘13(A)). 

For more information, be sure to visit the LMA website (Legislative 

Advocacy Section) at www.lma.org or the Louisiana State Legislature’s 

website at www.legis.la.gov/legis/home.aspx. ***This information was 

issued by the House Legislative Services on September 30, 2016.***

Page 6 


Fall 2016 Election Results 


Below is a full listing of re-elected or elected mayors and councilmembers from the fall primary and run-off elections. Information was retrieved from the 

Secretary of State’s website but does not include individuals who were appointed. “RE” indicates an individual who was re-elected to their office. 

Addis 

Mayor David H. Toups - RE 

Tate Acosta - RE 

Wilson ‘Hook’ Cazes - RE 

Rhonda LeBlanc Kelley - RE 

Kevin LeBlanc 

‘Rusty’ Parrish - RE 

Alexandria 

‘Chuck’ Fowler - RE 

Jules Green - RE 

‘Ed’ Larvadain, III 

‘Joe’ Fuller 

Amite City 

Mayor ‘Buddy’ Bel - RE 

Charles ‘Neil’ Currier - RE 

Jonathon Foster - RE 

‘Kris’ Hart 

‘Rose’ Sumrall - RE 

Emanuel Zanders, III - RE 

Anacoco 

Mayor Keith Lewing - RE 

LaVerne Miers - RE 

Mark Phillips - RE 

John Schraven 

Angie 

Mayor John Dawsey - RE 

Darryl Knight 

Gilbert Ball - RE 

Roxie Fornea - RE 

Atlanta 

Mayor Janet L. Finklea - RE 

Joseph Lang 

Angela Hanson - RE 

Patrick Howell - RE 

Baton Rouge 

Mayor-President Sharon Weston 

Broome 

‘Buddy’ Amoroso - RE 

Chauna Banks - RE 

LaMont Cole 

Donna Collins-Lewis - RE 

Barbara Freiberg 

Erika L. Green 

Dwight Hudson 

Chandler Loupe - RE 

Trae Welch - RE 

Tara Wicker - RE 

Matthew ‘Matt’ Wilson 

Scott Wilson - RE 

Benton 

Mayor S.G. Horton, Jr. 

Jacqueline Neal Carr 

Wayne Cathcart 

Linda Gates - RE 

Ronald ‘Ronnie’ Jones - RE 

Donna Moore Wyatt - RE 

Bogalusa 

Scott Ard 

Brusly 

Mayor Scot M. Rhodes 

David Shane Andre - RE 

Joanne Bourgeois - RE 

‘Rusty’ Daigle 

‘Don’ Neisler - RE 

Terry J. Richard, Jr. - RE 

Chatham 

Mayor Dwight Cooper 

Laverne Mixon 

Greg Harris - RE 

G. Frank Horrell - RE 

Tonja ‘Toni’ Malone - RE 

Sue Proffer - RE 

Clarence 

Irma Lee Anthony 

Clinton 

Mayor Lori Ann Bell - RE 

Mary Bunch Dunaway 

Mark Kemp 

Darren Matthews 

‘Johnny’ Beauchamp - RE 

Kim Young - RE 

Converse 

Mayor Troy H. Terrell - RE 

Rodney R. Rutherford 

Christina Ebarb - RE 

Travis Womack - RE 

Cotton Valley 

Mayor Joseph Alexander 

Charlene Lewis 

C.C. ‘Cat’ Cox - RE 

Naomi Houston - RE 

Evelyn Parish - RE 

Toby Sinclair - RE 

Cottonport 

Mayor William ‘Scotty’ Scott - RE 

Curtis Francisco - RE 

Kenneth Friels - RE 

Demple Prater 

Margaret Prater-Jenkins - RE 

Luke Welch - RE 

Coushatta 

Mayor Johnny Cox - RE 

Edna Mae Webb - RE 

Peter Drake 

Janice W. Lewis 

Brian Nash 

Reginald Prealow, Jr. 

Cullen 

Mayor Terry ‘Bippy’ Hoof 

Ray Mills 

Fannie Rankin 

Barbara Green - RE 

Doris White - RE 

Floydean White - RE 

Delcambre 

Mayor Pam Blakely 

Madison Saunier 

Timothy ‘Slim’ Derise - RE 

Donald ‘Phonse’ Martin - RE 

Sarah A. Trahan - RE 

Delta 

Mayor Marvin Ashley - RE 

Katherine Davis - RE 

Donald Frith - RE 

Billy Peebles - RE 

Dixie Inn 

Mayor Kay Hallmark-Stratton 

‘Nell’ Finlay 

Donna Hoffoss 

Judy McKenzie 

Dodson 

Mayor ‘Richie’ Broomfield 

Danny Browning 

Donaldsonville 

Mayor Leroy Sullivan - RE 

Raymond Aucoin - RE 

Charles R. Brown, Sr. - RE 

Lauthaught Delaney, Sr. - RE 

Reginald Francis, Sr. - RE 

Brent D. Landry 

Dry Prong 

Billy Chandler Sr. 

Dubberly 

Mayor ‘W.C.’ Hirth - RE 

Johnny Brown - RE 

Lynn Cooley - RE 

Douglas Culpepper - RE 

Edgefield 

Mayor ‘Vince’ Almond - RE 

Eugene Freeman 

Jack Terrell 

David Layfield - RE 

Elton 

Avella Ackless 

Taylor Mencacci 

Eros 

Mayor Shannon Glenn Morris 

Linda ‘Sue’ Bailey 

Angela Costin - RE 

Denise Costin - RE 

John David Howard - RE 

Farmerville 

Mayor M. Stein Baughman, Jr. - RE 

Robert Allen 

Ricky Johnikin 

Caroline Gatson - RE 

Lavelle Maine - RE 

Jerry Taylor - RE 

Fenton 

Mayor Eddie B. Alfred, Jr. - RE 

Gwen Johnson 

Shawanda G. Sowells 

Mary M. Jones - RE 

Fisher 

Mayor Susan Slay - RE 

Amy Johnson - RE 

Johnnie Maxie - RE 

Edwina Thomas - RE 

Forest 

Mayor Larry Denmon - RE 

Chad Franklin Springer 

Polly Anne McKaskle - RE 

Jone Whorton - RE 

Franklinton 

Mayor Richard Dillon 

‘Patrice’ Crain 

Darwin Sharp 

‘TJ’ Butler Jr. - RE 

John L. Daniel - RE 

Heath Spears - RE 

French Settlement 

Mayor Toni Guitrau - RE 

Rhonda Lobell 

‘Danette’ Aydell-Carrier - RE 

Teresa Miller - RE 

Georgetown 

Mayor Danny C. Olden - RE 

Jonathan Spurgeon 

Dorothy Self - RE 

‘Ray’ Williamson - RE 

Golden Meadow 

Mayor Joey Bouziga - RE 

Jody P. Cheramie - RE 

Lindberg ‘Bap’ Lorraine - RE 

Willis P. Toups - RE 

Ashton ‘Nu’ Cheramie 

Laci Bouziga Latiolais 

Gonzales 

Mayor Barney D. Arceneaux - RE 

Kirk Boudreaux - RE 

Neal M. Bourque - RE 

David Guitreau - RE 

Harold Stewart - RE 

Tyler Turner 

Greensburg 

Amanda Ficklin-Mixon - SE 

Grosse Tete 

Mayor Michael Chauffe, Sr. - RE 

Clint Seneca 

Barbara ‘Jeanie’ David - RE 

Marcus D. Hill, Sr. - RE 

Haughton 

Mayor Jack Hicks 

K.W. ‘Kim’ Gaspard 

Jo Anne Harnage Keith 

Phillip Smith 

Jonathan Phillps 

Martha McGee - RE 

Hessmer 

Mayor Travis Franks - RE 

Justin Gaspard 

Keith P. Armand - RE 

Joshua Roy - RE 

Hosston 

Mayor Betty ‘Susie’ Giles - RE 

Emmett Carter 

Charles V. Giles 

Ronnie Prestridge 

Ida 

Mayor Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Shaw - RE 

Harvey D. Anders 

Brian Hevrin 

Joseph A. Gott - RE 

Jamestown 

Mayor James Wiggins 

Conley Ray Bare 

‘Ralph’ Todd 

Jannet Wiggins 

Junction City 

Mayor Charles Hogue 

Kenner 

Mayor ‘Ben’ Zahn 

‘Tom’ Willmott 

Lake Arthur 

Auldon Robinson, Sr. 

Lisbon 

Mayor Wayne Tanner - RE 

Jerry W. Clements - RE 

Marilyn Lowrey Myers - RE 

‘Andy’ Roberts - RE 

Livingston 

Mayor ‘David’ McCreary 

Percy Edler 

Jessie ‘Dusty’ Glascock 

Duane May 

Joey Sibley - RE 

‘Wade’ Wilson - RE 

Livonia 

Mayor Rhett Pourciau 

James ‘Lil Buck’ Bergeron 

‘Greg’ Jarreau 

Terry Jarreau - RE 

Ron V. LeBlanc 

Warren Pourciau - RE 

Lockport 

Mayor Edward ‘Coach Ed’ Reinhardt 

Stephen Baudoin 

‘Rescue Wayne’ Bourgeois, Jr. 

Bobbie Morris Galjour 

Sharon Robichaux Guidry - RE 

Rodney Hartman RE 

Logansport 

Mayor Judge S. Cordray, Jr. 

Norman Arbuckle - RE 

Martha P. Guillotte - RE 

Katherine Freeman 

Dwight D. Gatlin, Sr. 

Pamela ‘Pam’ Thomas 

Loreauville 

Mayor Brad Clifton - RE 

Eric Borne 

Sandy Sonnier - RE 

Morgan City 

Mayor Frank ‘Boo’ Grizzaffi - RE 

‘Ron’ Bias - RE 

James R. Fontenot, II - RE 

Tim T. Hymel - RE 

Louis J. Tamporello - RE 

Mark A. Stephens 

New Iberia 

Mayor ‘Freddie’ Decourt 

David N. Broussard, Sr. 

Dan Doerle - RE 

Sherry Guidry 

Deidre Ledbetter 

Marlon ‘Marlo’ Lewis 

Natalie Lopez-Robin - RE 

Dustin Suire 

Newellton 

Mayor Timothy Turner - RE 

Richard Dunmore 

Edwin Britt - RE 

Ben Britton Jr. - RE 

‘Lavonne’ Garner - RE 

Mattie Sampson - RE 

Oak Ridge 

Mayor Malcom Williams 

Earl Baker 

Gretchen Duff 

Raymond Speights 

Oakdale 

Mayor Gene Paul - RE 

George A. Ashy, II - RE 

Cassandra Hayes Allison 

Fredrick ‘Pos’ Douglas - RE 

Ralph Stapleton - RE 

Ervin Willis, Sr. - RE 

Oil City 

Mayor James T. Sims 

Cynthia Poindexter Barkschat 

Omelia Steward 

James Clifton, Sr. - RE 

‘Donnie’ Jackson - RE 

Pine Prairie 

Mayor Quint West 

Gilbert J. Bordelon 

Tammy M. Hammond - RE 

‘Debbie’ Oge - RE 

Plain Dealing 

Mayor David Smith 

‘Kim’ Holt Allums - RE 

Shanthia ‘Shanita’ Gay - RE 

Cindy Anderson Dodson - RE 

Howard Haynie - RE 

Plaquemine 

Mayor Edwin M. ‘Ed’ Reeves, Jr. 

Timothy L. ‘Timmy’ Martinez - RE 

Oscar S. Mellion - RE 

Jimmie ‘Fat Boy’ Randle - RE 

Michael ‘Mickey’ Rivet - RE 

Lindon Rivet, Jr. - RE 

Ralph Stassi, Jr. - RE 

Plaucheville 

Mayor Terryl St. Romain - RE 

Guy P. Lemoine 

Robbie Plauche 

Craig Gremillion - RE 

Pleasant Hill 

Mayor Barbara T. Campbell 

‘Ray’ Bufkin 

Edward G. Arnold - RE 

Port Allen 

Mayor Richard N. Lee, III - RE 

Brandon Brown - RE 

Garry L. Hubble - RE 

Ray Helen Lawrence - RE 

Hugh ‘Hootie’ Riviere - RE 

Carey S. Williams 

Port Barre 

Nelson Barron 

Port Vincent 

Mayor Johnnie ‘JJ’ Page 

David Carter 

Monya Crowell 

‘Gary’ Brady - RE 

Powhatan 

Mayor Johnnie Taylor - RE 

Willie Davis, Jr. 

Jamika Neal 

Hardrick Rivers - RE 

Richmond 

Mayor Olga Butler 

Rodessa 

Mayor Paul Lockard - RE 

Sidney Falgout 

‘Dan’ Harville 

Henry B. ‘Benji’ House 

Rosedale 

Mayor Riley J. Blanchet 

Carroll Devillier 

Dana N. Alexander - RE 

John T. ‘Tim’ Doiron - RE 

Roseland 

Mayor Wanda ‘Yodie’ McCoy - RE 

‘Marie’ Bennett 

Charles J. Davis 

Kevin M. Robinson 

Sandra W. Turner - RE 

Ruthie L. Vernon - RE 

Sarepta 

Mayor Peggy Adkins - RE 

Madison Claire Tyler 

Heath Warford 

Michael A. Corley - RE 

Melanie Dean - RE 

David Neal - RE 

Shongaloo 

Mayor ‘Tim’ L. Mouser - RE 

Kathy H. Pipkin - RE 

‘Ann’ Sexton - RE 

Mary Strange - RE 

Sibley 

Mayor ‘Jimmy’ Williams - RE 

Robert Smart 

Doyle Chanler - RE 

John Langford - RE 

Larry Merritt - RE 

Alan Myers - RE 

Simmesport 

Mayor Leslie Draper, III 

Jacob Coco - RE 

Sherman Bell - RE 

Myron K. Brown - RE 

Kenneth Marsh - RE 

Ted Turner - RE 

Simpson 

Mayor Vickie Standifer 

Paula Parker 

Neil Standifer 

Lisa Thompson 

South Mansfield 

Mayor Kevin Vanzant 

St. Francisville 

Mayor William ‘Billy’ D’Aquilla - RE 

Joseph ‘Bryan’ Kelley 

Abby Temple Cochran - RE 

Rucker Leake - RE 

Gigi Thomas-Robertson - RE 

Susanne ‘Susie’ Tulley 

St. Joseph 

Mayor Elvadus Fields, Jr. 

Carl Olds, Jr. 

Antionette Shields 

‘Thedore’ Jackson - RE 

John L. Lewis - RE 

Jerry Newman - RE 

Tangipahoa 

Mayor ‘Keysha’ Robinson 

Ricky L. Coleman 

Debrah Scott-Cyprian 

Shelia Martin - RE 

Varnado 

Mayor Paris C. Sumrall - RE 

Brian ‘Walk Walk’ Walker 

James Ezell - RE 

Kimberly Suzi Kennedy - RE 

Vienna 

Mayor Walter Carpenter - RE 

Keith Brasuell - RE 

Linda Graham - RE 

Billy Jack Talton - RE 

Walker 

Mayor James V. ‘Jimmy’ Watson 

Scarlett Milton Major - RE 

Gary Griffin - RE 

David Clark 

Richard Wales 

‘Eric’ Cook - RE 

Welsh 

Mayor ‘Carolyn’ Louviere - RE 

Andrea King 

Lawrence ‘Bugger’ Mier 

Jacob Colby Perry 

Rodney Trahan 

Robert ‘Bob’ Owens - RE



The First Amendment is Not the Last Word at Public Meetings 

By Ann G. Macfarlane 

Author of Mastering Council Meetings 

Editor’s Note: This article was published 

on the National League of Cities’ 

official blog CitiesSpeak by NLC Senior 

Editor Paul Konz. Managing public 

comments at city council meetings isn’t 

easy. Review this framework to be prepared 

for disruptions. City meetings progress 

smoothly when simple guidelines for 

making decisions as a group are followed, 

such a those outlined in the widely-referenced 

book Robert’s Rules of Order. Here, 

one parliamentarian provides her input 

and advice on a few key issues. 

In this country today, the First 

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution 

is the foundation of our civil liberty. 

The freedoms that it lists are crucial to 

our society. When we read accounts of 

how these freedoms can be abridged, 

limited or ignored, we react with horror. 

And yet it is also important to acknowledge 

that, in the matter of free 

speech, the First Amendment is not the 

last word. 

“Congress shall make no law… 

abridging the freedom of speech…” 

These 10 words have been interpreted 

to allow words and actions of 

an extraordinary breadth and variety. 

In public meetings, people sometimes 

engage in hateful, vicious, personal and 

wide-ranging attacks on institutions 

and individuals, waving the banner 

of free speech. Here’s how to manage 

these disruptions and keep the meeting 

on track. 

A Framework for Free Speech 

We would like to offer a framework 

for consideration of free speech at public 

meetings, in the hope that it will 

be helpful to elected officials and local 

governments struggling with these First 

Amendment issues. 

1. A governing body has the right 

to establish rules for the conduct 

of its business. This principle is enshrined 

in state law (for example, see 

my home state of Washington’s RCW 

35A.12.120), in Robert’s Rules of 

Order, and in common parliamentary 

law as affirmed by the courts. 

2. We recommend that every council, 

commission, or other public body 

establish its own rules of procedure. 

From our perspective, it makes sense 

to adopt Robert’s Rules of Order, and 

then add your own special additional 

rules that meet the requirements of 

your particular situation. 

3. Including a time limit on remarks 

is essential if a body is to conduct its 

business effectively. 

4. A governing body may prohibit 

offensive speech, personal attacks, insult, 

etc. by its own members. 

5. A member who breaks this rule 

may be reprimanded, censured, or 

asked to leave the meeting. Such punishment 

can be inflicted only by the 

body itself, not by the chair acting 

alone. Including such consequences in 

the rules of procedure, though it may 

not seem necessary when you adopt 

them, can prove very helpful if your 

situation changes. 

6. Know what your state law says 

about public input. In my home state 

of Washington, for example, the public 

has the right to attend meetings, but 

does not have the right under the state 

constitution or by statute to speak at 

them. However, most public bodies 

have created this right by consistently 

giving the public an opportunity to 

speak. 

7. In its rules, the body may authorize 

the chair to make a brief response 

to a speaker. The chair may state that 

the body will take the views into consideration 

during its discussion and 

may offer to provide information or 

a response later. (Of course, if you say 

this, be sure to follow up!) 

8. However, the right to speak and 

ask questions does not, in and of itself, 

include the right to an answer. It is important 

for the chair not to get involved 

in a back-and-forth exchange with 

members of the public. We all have a 

natural impulse to defend ourselves 

when attacked, but remaining calm 

and moving on the next item of business 

may be the most prudent and appropriate 

response. This also prevents 

the unfortunate situation wherein the 

chair makes statements that are then 

( Editor’s 

Note: Below 

are brief summaries 

of recent 

legal opinions 

rendered 

by the Office 

of Attorney 

General Jeff 

Landry on matters 

pertaining Jeff Landry 

to municipal Attorney General 

and local government. 

For a copy of cited opinions, 

please contact LMA Paralegal Penny 

Ambeau-Scott at pambeau@lma.org.) 

2017 LMA Executive Board and Committee Meetings 

LMA Executive Board Meetings 

*Monday, February 6, 2017 

Thursday, May 4, 2017 

Wednesday, June 14, 2017 

*Wednesday, July 26, 2017 (2 p.m.) 

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 

Wednesday, December 6, 2017 

Attorney General’s Opinions 

MPERS 

AGO 16-0175 

The Sheriff of Acadia Parish may 

elect to continue to participate in the 

Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement 

System pursuant to La. R.S. 11:2214.1 

Lawrason Act 

AGO 16-0143 

The Mayor of the Town of Ferriday has 

the authority to revoke a policy requiring 

multiple signatures on checks drawn on 

the Town treasury. 

interpreted as the position of the whole 

body when perhaps they have not been 

adopted by the body, leading to further 

wrangling and recrimination. 

9. In general, in creating its rules, 

a council may impose restrictions pertaining 

to the way in which public 

comment is offered. It is fine to impose 

time limits, or to require that remarks 

be germane (relevant) to the subject 

at hand. In some states the body may 

confine public comment to specified 

topics. 

Also important: 

• While the body may request that 

speakers refrain from profanity, personal 

attacks, and so on, caution should be 

taken before requiring the removal of 

an individual whose speech is not creating 

an actual disruption. 

• It is important to distinguish 

between speech and disruption. In 

Washington State, if members of the 

public who are present actually disrupt 

the meeting, or physical violence 

is threatened, they can be ordered 

to leave, the meeting room may be 

cleared, or the body itself can adjourn 

the meeting and reconvene in a different 

place, without the presence of the 

public but with the presence of the media 

(RCW 42.30.050.) If you are confronted 

with actions that seem questionable, 

your attorney can provide 

more details of how the courts define 

“disruption.” 

Please note: it is important to distinguish 

between legal concerns and 

parliamentary procedure. I am not an 

attorney and this article does not constitute 

legal advice. These thoughts are 

offered from the point of view of parliamentary 

procedure, which is a part 

of the common law with its own special 

history and perspective. Taking the 

parliamentary view into consideration, 

you will want to be guided by your attorney. 

Honor the First Amendment, 

Establish Rules, Be Prepared to Act 

Angry emotions and disruptive actions 

can have the effect of hijacking a 

meeting – and sometimes that’s what 

protesters at public meetings want. It 

means, though, that those same protesters 

are stealing from the public. 

They are preventing our officials from 

doing the work that they were elected 

or appointed to do. We encourage you 

to be proactive and definite. Honor the 

First Amendment, establish rules that 

will protect your group to the best of 

your legal ability, and be prepared to 

act when disruption threatens. To do 

otherwise is to run the risk of wasting 

your time and the public’s resources. 

Open Meetings 

AGO 16-0170 

Committees of public bodies must adhere 

to the provisions of Louisiana’s Open 

Meetings Law, La. R.S. 42:11 et seq., just 

as the public bodies themselves must do. 

Sales Tax 

AGO 16-0184 

The City Council for the City of 

Central must adhere to the test pronounced 

in Bd. of Directors of Indus. 

Dev. Bd. of City of Gonzales, Louisiana, 

Inc. v. All Taxpayers, Prop. Owners, 

Citizens of City of Gonzales, 2005-2298 

(La. 9/6/06), 938 So.2d 11, when determining 

whether issuing a sales tax rebate 

for purchases to replace flooded vehicles 

might violate La. Cont. Art. VII, § 14. 

LMA Executive Committee Meetings 

Wednesday, January 18, 2017 

Wednesday, March 15, 2017 

Wednesday, May 17, 2017 

Wednesday, July 12, 2017 

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 

Wednesday, November 8, 2017 

All meetings will be held on the first-floor rooms of the LMA building with the exception of the board meetings 

indicated with an asterisk. Meetings on Monday, February 6th and Wednesday, July 26th will be held on-site at 

LMA events, the Mid-Winter Conference and the Annual Convention respectively. All meetings are currently 

scheduled to start at 10 a.m. unless otherwise stated.

Page 8 



MID-WINTER: cont. from page 1 

Ethics. This will be a day of fundamental 

learning for both newly-elected and 

returning officials. 

Governor John Bel Edwards will address 

the membership at the Mid-Winter 

luncheon on Tuesday, February 7th. Since 

his election, Governor Edwards has faced 

a variety of serious issues, including a budget 

crisis, as well as issues with higher education 

and the health care industry. The 

Governor continues to listen to our input 

as an association, as well as including the 

LMA on the Governor’s Task Force on 

Transportation Infrastructure Investment 

and the Restore Louisiana Task Force. We 

are very fortunate and grateful for our relationship 

with the Governor’s office and 

the consideration of our association as a 

component to the success of our state. We 

welcome the Governor to our conference 

and await his message to the members of 

LMA. 

An updated and detailed agenda of the 

conference can be found on page 9. Join 

us in learning about disaster recovery and 

exploring your resources for efficient management 

of Louisiana’s villages, towns, 

and cities at the upcoming Mid-Winter 

Conference. 

Registration Information 

The conference will be held February 

6th and 7th at the Crowne Plaza hotel in 

Baton Rouge. Registration is available by 

check with the registration form to the 

right or by credit card at www.lma.org. 

Please email registration@lma.org if you 

need to obtain a username and password 

or if you need assistance registering online. 

Registration will remain at its lowest 

cost of $90 until January 9, 2017, however, 

the reservation cut-off date for hotel 

rooms has passed. 

Refund Policy 

An administrative fee of $45 will be 

charged for all cancellations for the LMA 

Mid-Winter Conference, including medical 

emergencies. No refunds will be given 

after Monday, January 23, 2017, two 

weeks prior to the event. Refunds will 

be issued only if the LMA office receives 

your cancellation request in the form of 

a letter on your official letterhead mailed, 

emailed, faxed, or delivered to our office 

with a postmark date no later than January 

23, 2017. Telephone requests for refunds 

are not acceptable. There will be no exceptions 

to this policy. P.O. Box 4327, Baton 

Rouge, LA 70821 Fax (225) 344-3057 

NAME 

BADGE NAME 

GUEST NAME 

MUNICIPALITY 

ADDRESS 

TITLE 

(STREET OR P.O. BOX) (CITY) (STATE) (ZIP CODE) 

TELEPHONE ( ) FAX ( ) 

EMAIL 

ACCOMMODATIONS: 

-REGISTRATION FORM - 

Louisiana Municipal Association 

Mid-Winter Conference for Municipal Officials 

February 6 – 7, 2017 

Crowne Plaza Baton Rouge 

4728 Constitution Avenue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 

Is this your first Mid-Winter Conference? Yes No 

A block of rooms have been reserved at the Crowne 

Plaza Hotel at a rate of $109 Single/Double. 

Please call (225) 925-2244 to make your 

reservations and mention that you are with 

Louisiana Municipal Association’s Mid-Winter 

Conference to secure this special rate. 

The 

reservation cut-off date is Thursday, January 5, 

2017. Check-in time is 4:00 p.m. and check-out 

time is 11:00 a.m. unless special arrangements are 

made in advance. 

Suggested arrival for hotel reservations is Monday, 

February 6 with departure on Wednesday, February 

8. The first session is tentatively scheduled to 

begin at 1:00 p.m., February 6. 

NOTE: LMA will offer the one hour of required 

ethics training on Tuesday, February 7, at no 

charge. The Code of Governmental Ethics will 

begin at 4:00 p.m. in the Premier Ballroom. 

ADVANCE REGISTRATION FEE: 

ENDS JANUARY 9 

$90 per delegate/official 

(includes one guest & reception) 

LATE REGISTRATION FEE: 

BEGINS January 10 

$100 per delegate/official 

(includes one guest & reception) 

Complete this form and return with your 

registration fee payment in full, no later than 

January 31, 2017 . 

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: 

Louisiana Municipal Association 

Mid- Winter Conference 

P.O. Box 4327 

Baton Rouge, LA 70821 

REGISTER ONLINE: 

WWW.LMA.ORG 

HAVE A QUESTION? 

Contact: Nikki Samrow, P.O. Box 4327, Baton Rouge, LA 70821, (225) 344- 5001 Phone, (225) 344- 3057 Fax, nsamrow@lma.org



11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 

1:00 p.m. - 1:10 p.m. 

1:10 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. 

LMA MID-WINTER CONFERENCE 

FEBRUARY 6- 7, 2017 

CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL 

BATON ROUGE 

-Tentative Agenda- 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2017 

Disasters: Before, During, and After 

REGISTRATION 

EXHIBITS 

Welcome 

Honorable Barney D. Arceneaux, Mayor, City of Gonzales, LMA President 

Disaster Preparation 

Leading Through the Storm - A Film Presentation by LeadersLink 

Honorable David Camardelle, Mayor, Town of Grand Isle, LMA Past President; Kathleen Koch, Founder & Executive 

Director, LeadersLink; Honorable Gerard Landry, Mayor, City of Denham Springs; and Honorable Harry Lewis, 

Mayor, Town of Rayville, LMA 2 nd Vice President 

2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. BREAK 

Maximizing Disaster Recovery Opportunities 

3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Pat Forbes, Executive Director, Office of Community Development; Brett Kriger, Deputy Director of Disaster 

Response, LMA; and John Morehead, CPA, Director of Recovery Assistance Services, Louisiana Legislative Auditor 

3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. BREAK 

Disaster Recovery Panel: Lessons Learned 

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Honorable Vern Breland, Mayor, Town of Sterlington, LMA Past President; Honorable Jr. Shelton, Mayor, City of 

Central; and Honorable Darnell Waites, Mayor, City of Baker 

5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. RECEPTION 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017 

Municipal Essentials 

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. REGISTRATION 

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EXHIBITS 

8:15 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. VENDOR NETWORKING 

9:00 a.m.- 9:15 a.m. Welcome 

9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. 

LaMATS Services and Programs 

Cliff Palmer, Executive Director, LaMATS; Paul Holmes, Procurement Director, LaMATS; Kyle Gillman, President; 

BidBoard Consulting; and Kristyn Childers, Owner, Millage Management 

This presentation will provide an overview of each service and program offered by LaMATS, with an emphasis on two new 

programs for 2017 — BidBoard Procurement Network and Millage Management. 

10:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. BREAK 

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. 

11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. 

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Lawrason Act 

Jerry Guillot 

Chief of Staff, Louisiana State Senate 

This session’s focus is to provide a working knowledge and 

understanding of the Lawrason Act and an overview of 

recent developments by way of Attorney General opinions 

and case law. 

Sponsored by: LaMATS 

Economic Development for the Newly-Elected 

Official 

Mandi Mitchell 

Assistant Secretary, Louisiana Economic Development 

This session is designed to give useful strategies that 

elected official can use to develop a comprehensive plan for 

their community that includes recruiting, retaining and 

creating businesses through entrepreneurship. 

Sponsored by: Musco Lighting 

LUNCHEON 

Special Guest Speaker 

Honorable John Bel Edwards, Governor, State of Louisiana 

Mayor and Chief of Police Relations 

Honorable Barney Arceneaux; Mayor, City of Gonzales, 

LMA President; Honorable Sherman Jackson; Chief of 

Police, City of Gonzales; Honorable Purvis Morrison; 

Mayor, City of Scott, LMA District F Vice President; and 

Honorable Chad Leger, Chief of Police, City of Scott 

This interactive session will contain exchanging ideas and 

best practices on roles, coordination, and effective 

communication with key officials committed to keeping the 

peace. 

2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. BREAK 

Open Meetings and Public Records 

Emalie A. Boyce 

Deputy Executive Counsel, Office of the Governor 

Municipal Employment and Payroll 1/3/17 

A. Edward Hardin, Jr. 

Partner, Kean Miller LLP 

This session will focus on best practices for supervision of 

employees and issues arising under the Fair Labor 

Standards Act, including exempt and nonexempt 

employees under the Act. 

Sponsored by: Kel-Ar Consulting, LLC 

Legislative Auditor: Top 10 Issues 

Jennifer Schaye, CFE 

General Counsel, Louisiana Legislative Auditor 

2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. This session will provide an overview of the Open Meetings Join us for this session to learn how you can avoid the ten 

Law, including what notice must be provided, how electronic most common issues found by the Legislative Auditor’s 

communications impact this area of the law and what issues office and how to implement the proper steps needed to 

are appropriate for executive session. 

make necessary changes. 

Sponsored by: LAMP, Inc. 

3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. BREAK 

The Code of Governmental Ethics 

Brett Robinson, Attorney, Louisiana Ethics Commission 

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Required under Louisiana law, all elected municipal officials and municipal employees must earn one hour of ethics 

training each year. This session will serve as your required training with the required forms available to be submitted 

directly to the Ethics Commission. All participants are expected to be on time and remain for the entire session to earn 

credit. 

5:00 p.m. ADJOURN 

REMINDER 

STATE OF LOUISIANA 

ETHICS REQUIREMENTS 

FOR ALL ELECTED 

PUBLIC OFFICIALS 

According to the Louisiana 

Ethics Administration, all newly-elected 

public officials must 

complete one hour of Ethics 

training within 90 days of 

taking office. This requirement 

affects those who have changed 

elected positions, as well as 

first-time elected officials. 

All elected public officials 

and public servants (employees) 

must complete one hour 

of training during this year. 

Remember, online training 

and certification for all elected 

officials and public servants can 

be obtained through the Louisiana 

Ethics Administration Program 

website, http://eap.ethics. 

la.gov/EthicsTraining/login. 

aspx. (Register, create a username 

and password, login, and 

follow all instructions provided.) 

PERSONAL FINANCE 

DISCLOSURE REQUIRE- 

MENTS FOR ALL ELECT- 

ED PUBLIC OFFICIALS 

If you were in office or held 

an elected position in 2016, you 

must file a Personal Finance 

Disclosure Statement with the 

Louisiana Ethics Commission 

no later than May 15, 2017. 

The population of your district, 

or service on boards and 

commissions, dictates which 

tier your disclosure statement 

must be filed in: 

Tier 2 – Election district with 

population over 5,000 

Tier 2.1 – Board or Commission 

that spends more than 

$10,000 annually 

Tier 3 – Election district with 

population under 5,000 

Questions? Contact Karen 

White, LMA Assistant Director 

of Governmental Affairs (225) 

344-5001, (800) 234-8274 

kwhite@lma.org

Page 10 

Gas Authority Announces 

2017 Executive Committee 

and New Member Municipality 

The Louisiana Municipal Gas Authority held a board of director’s meeting on 

December 15, 2016 in which the executive committee for the new year was elected. 



The 2017 Executive Committee are comprised of the following members: 

Mayor Lawrence Henagan, Dequincy, President 

Chris Calbert, Zachary, First Vice President 

Mayor Chris Theriot, Gueydan, Second Vice President 

Michael Bradford, East Feliciana Gas District, At Large Member 

Mayor Jennifer Vidrine, Ville Platte, At Large Member 

Mayor Greg Lemons, Abita Springs, At Large Member 

Kyle Mathews, Madisonville, At Large Member 

At the board meeting Ken Drone, Managing Director announced that the City 

of Patterson will become a member of the LMGA effective February 1,2017. He 

also announced that rebate checks were distributed to the members of the 2006 

prepay transaction in the amount of approximately $2.1 million dollars in October 

and December of 2016. During the last ten years the members of the 2006 Prepay 

transaction have received of over $9 million dollars in discounted natural gas. 

For more information regarding the LMGA, please call LMGA Managing 

Director Ken Drone or LMGA Accountant Samantha Bell at (225)344-5001 

CURRY: cont. from page 1 

During her four years as a member 

of the board of trustees for 

RMI, Mayor Curry served in the 

roles of chairman and secretary/ 

treasurer. Mayor Glenn Brasseaux 

of Carencro serves as current 

RMI Chairman and LMA Past 

President. Mayor Brasseaux presented 

a resolution to commemorate 

the many contributions 

Mayor Curry has made to both 

RMI and LMA. 

In addition to serving on the 

LMA and RMI boards, Mayor 

Curry served on the Louisiana 

Municipal Advisory and Technical 

Services Bureau (LaMATS) Board 

of Directors from 2012 through 

2016. She served in an Ad Hoc 

position as LMA President in 

2012-2013, and has subsequently 

served as a full board member until 

her retirement from municipal 

government in 2016. 

Executive Director Cliff 

Palmer manages this wholly-owned 

subsidiary of the LMA 

which provides many services to 

the LMA membership. He presented 

a plaque of appreciation 

to Mayor Curry at the last New 

Iberia council meeting of 2016, 

which was also the last council 

meeting Mayor Curry presided 

over as the mayor of New Iberia. 

Hilda Curry is officially retired 

as of the first of the year. Her combined 

16 years of service to LMA, 

RMI, and LaMATS has forever 

shaped these organizations. The 

present is only a foundation for 

the future. Even though Mayor 

Curry will no longer sit on these 

boards her family’s legacy and 

her own will live on. Thank you 

Mayor Curry for your dedication 

to public service, the LMA and its 

subsidiaries, and to the state. 

RMI Chairman and LMA Past President Glenn 

Brasseaux presents a resolution to retiring 

Mayor Hilda Curry on behalf of the RMI Board 

of Trustees. 

LaMATS Executive Director Cliff Palmer presents 

a plaque of appreciation from the board 

of directors to Mayor Hilda Curry at her last 

council meeting as the mayor of New Iberia. 

Outgoing LMGA President Mayor Beebe of Hornbeck presents a resolution of appreciation 

to former Mayor of Jena, Murphy McMillan, for his many years of support 

to the LMGA. 

5 Municipalities Celebrate Centennials in 2017 

Baton Rouge, Madisonville, and St. Martinville 

celebrate 200 years 

City of Baton Rouge 

The “Capital City” and second largest municipality in Louisiana with a 

population of 229,493 will reach 200 years of incorporation on January 

17th, 2017. The “Red Stick” is the political hub for Louisiana, and the 

Port of Greater Baton Rouge is the tenth largest in the country in terms 

of tonnage shipped, and is the farthest upstream Mississippi River port 

capable of handling Panamax ships. 

Village of Madisonville 

The oldest permanent settlement in St. Tammany parish, the Village of 

Madisonville, is nestled along the banks of the Tchefuncte River with a 

population of 748. The area was originally named Coquille because of 

its abundance of seashells, however, upon incorporation in 1817 it was 

renamed Madisonville in honor of President James Madison. 

City of St. Martinville 

18 miles southeast of Lafayette, the City of St. Martinville’s economy is 

fueled by agriculture and tourism. The city yields crops of crawfish and 

sugar cane, and is the port of production for Louisiana Hot Sauce. On 

Bayou Teche, St. Martinville is home to 6,114 people. 

Baskin and Krotz Springs celebrate 100 years 

Village of Baskin 

The Village of Baskin is located in Franklin parish located 7 miles north of 

Winnsboro with a population of 254. The Baskin High School women’s 

basketball team holds the record for longest winning streak in organized 

sports, 218 consecutive games from 1948-1953. 

Town of Krotz Springs 

Inside St. Landry parish, a municipality founded on mineral water resides 

the Town of Krotz Springs. Known as the “Gateway to the Atchafalaya,” 

Krotz Springs has a population of 1,198.



Clerks Corner 

Technical 

Assistance 

Program 

By Gwen Martin, LMMC 

LMCA President, City Clerk of Carencro 

At the LMA Executive Board meeting held 

on December 14, 2016, the board approved 

the 2017 budget which includes funding of 

$10,000.00 towards the “Municipal Clerks 

Technical Assistance Program.” This program 

will allow LMCA to assist a municipality with a 

new clerk by sending a seasoned clerk to show 

them “the ropes”. It is truly humbling that the 

LMA has noticed the need and provided much 

needed resources to help. Special thanks to LMA 

Past President, Springhill Mayor, Carroll Breaux 

for spearheading this project. We now need your 

help! 

The goal of our current initiative is to gather 

information regarding job duties, population and 

software that is used by your municipality. This 

will allow the chairperson of the Clerks Technical 

Assistance Program to send a seasoned clerk that 

is compatible to the requesting clerk. An e-blast 

will be sent out to everyone, so please take a 

moment to fill out the information. If you are 

interested in assisting and helping a new clerk, 

I encourage you to email LMCA Past President 

Sherry McCann at mccann.sherry@bellsouth.net 

LMA’s generosity will help pay for the seasoned 

clerks expenses such as mileage and meals. 

In addition, up to $2,000 in remaining funds 

will allow LMCA to award more Institute scholarships 

to clerks who truly need the training. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me or any 

board member if you have any questions. Thank 

you for making LMCA so special! 

On behalf of the LMCA board, we would like 

to wish you and your loved ones a Happy New 

Year! We hope your holidays were blessed and 

filled with joy, happiness, and lots of love! 

God bless you all. 

NAME 

BADGE NAME 

MUNICIPALITY 

ADDRESS 

TITLE 

(STREET OR P.O. BOX) (CITY) (STATE) (ZIP CODE) 

TELEPHONE ( ) FAX ( ) 

EMAIL 

GUEST NAME (if attending) 

Please help facilitate conference planning by answering the following questions: 

ACCOMMODATIONS: 

- REGISTRATION FORM- 

L o u i s i a n a M u n i c i p a l C l e r k s A s s o c i a t i o n 

5 7 t h A n n u a l S p r i n g C o n f e r e n c e 

G o l d e n N u g g e t H o t e l & C a s i n o 

L a k e C h a r l e s 

M a r c h 2 - 3 , 2 0 1 7 

Is this your first LMCA Spring Conference? Yes No 

Will you attend the group tour on Thursday? Yes No 

Will you attend Friday night’s Annual Banquet? Yes No 

A block of rooms has been reserved 

at Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino at 

a rate of $119/night for Wednesday, 

March 1 st and Thursday, March 2 nd 

and $ 169/ night for Friday, March 3 rd . 

Please call (844) 777- 4653 to make 

your reservations and mention that 

you are with L M C A S p r i n g 

C o n f e re n ce to secure this special rate. 

R eservations cut- off date is 5:00 

p.m., Saturday, February 1 1 , 2017 . 

Check-in time is 4:00 p.m. and checkout 

is 11 :00 a .m. Recommended 

arrival is Thursday, March 2 nd and 

departure Saturday, March 4 th . 

G o ld en N u g g e t H o t e l & C a sino 

2 5 5 0 G o ld en N u g g e t Bl vd . 

L a k e C h a rl e s , L A 7 06 01 

w w w . g o l d e n n u g g e t. c o m / lakech a r l es 

B RING A DOO R P RIZE TO 

P ART IC IP ATE IN THE D RAW IN G ! 

B RING YOUR M UNICIPALITY 

P INS TO EXCHAN G E ! 

H A V E A Q U E S T I O N ? 

REGISTRATION FEE: 

$150 p e r d e l e g a te (includes 1 guest) 

Complete this form and return with 

your registration fee payment in full, 

no later than February 17, 2017 . 

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: 

Louisiana Municipal Clerks Association 

5 7 th Annual Spring Conference 

P.O. Box 4327 

Baton Rouge, LA 70821 

REGISTER ONLINE: 

WWW.LMA.ORG 

Please log in and proceed to 

Upcoming Events. 

Click on ‘57 th LMCA Annual 

Spring Conference’. 

Contact: Nikki Samrow, P.O. Box 4327, Baton Rouge, LA 70821, (225) 344-5001 Phone, nsamrow@lma.org 

REFORM: cont. from page 5 

reforms we have achieved the the past 

eight years include: 

Expanding the reentry court programs 

into seven Judicial Districts, 

allowing non-violent ex-offenders increased 

rehabilitative opportunities 

and employment options. 

Opening eight day-reporting facilities 

statewide and creating a process 

to allow probation officers to sanction 

probationers with administrative and/ 

or short-term sanctions for technical 

violations of their supervision conditions, 

instead of sending them back to 

prison. 

Reducing the amount of time it 

takes for non-violent, non-habitual offenders 

who have proven to be model 

prisoners to become parole eligible. 

Creating an early release program 

for certain drug offenders onto intense 

parole supervision for those who successfully 

complete a 90-day substance 

abuse treatment program. 

Reducing mandatory minimums, 

including archaic penalties for simple 

possession of marijuana. 

Implementing the use of 

Motivational Interviewing (MI), an offender-centered 

method of communication, 

which Probation and Parole officers 

use to help offenders think more 

positively and enhance motivation for 

behavioral changes. 

Establishing 10 state-wide reentry 

programming centers at the local level 

and requiring standardized mandatory 

minimums of educational training 

in some cases, to ensure that offenders 

exiting out of local jails are better 

prepared to transition back into their 

home communities. 

The reality is that 95 percent of 

incarcerated offenders will eventually 

return to their communities at some 

point. To put it simply, we have made 

it so that it is easier for ex-offenders to 

achieve and display rehabilitation, get a 

job, and be positive members of society 

upon release from prison. I am proud 

to say that we are turning the page on 

a past system that set ex-offenders up 

for failure. 

This past legislative session, several 

bills became law and built on our efforts, 

and expanded and strengthened 

our reentry court system, making it 

available for more ex-offenders. And 

the “Ban the Box” law will go a long 

way in making it so that ex-offenders 

will have a fair shot at state and local 

government jobs. I would like to thank 

Governor John Bel Edwards for making 

the “Ban the Box” legislative change a 

part of his priority package during the 

2016 session, as well has his public 

commitment to sentencing reform in 

upcoming legislative session. 

Recognizing the importance of 

building on our positive momentum, 

in 2015 the Legislature passed a resolution 

to create the Louisiana Justice 

Reinvestment Task Force. The task 

force has been charged with analyzing 

the causes of Louisiana’s high prison 

population, assessing sentencing laws, 

consulting stakeholders, and creating 

consensus on a comprehensive criminal 

justice reform package that hopefully 

can be implemented next year. 

Working with Pew Charitable Trust, 

we began meeting in June of 2016 and 

will finish in March prior to the beginning 

of the 2017 legislative session. 

Ultimately, the task force will seek to 

draft legislation that will further reduce 

prison populations by focusing prison 

space on serious and violent criminals, 

hold offenders accountable more efficiently 

by implementing or expanding 

improved sentencing practices, and reinvest 

funding into strategies proven to 

decrease recidivism. 

Nearly a decade of hard work by 

criminal justice reform advocates has 

gotten us to this point. We have taken 

a number of steps that prove criminal 

justice reform works, prison populations 

can be reduced, and rehabilitation 

of ex-offenders is possible. Louisiana 

no longer needs to be the prison capital 

of the world. I look forward to leading 

the Louisiana Justice Reinvestment 

Task Force and working with a bipartisan 

group of stakeholders on the goal 

of one-day removing Louisiana from 

the top position on this list. 

.

Page 12 



GOVERNOR: cont. from page 3 

ship between law enforcement and the 

public. Your input is needed. Criminal 

justice reform is going to be a major part 

of my legislative agenda for the session 

beginning in April. 

Starting this year, Louisiana is the 

first state in the country to outfit our 

state police troopers with body cameras. 

Every uniformed patrol trooper from the 

French Quarter in New Orleans to the 

rural parishes will have the cameras by 

the summer. Louisiana has some of the 

most dedicated law enforcement officers 

in the nation and these cameras will be 

an added resource to help protect the 

officers and the public. They will assist 

state police with the collection of evidence, 

accountability and transparency. 

Funds to purchase the 1500 cameras will 

come from the LSP’s existing budget. 

Looking back for a moment, we accomplished 

many important things together 

last year. Among them is Medicaid 

expansion, a big win for individuals 

and businesses. Since signing an executive 

order that made Louisiana the 31 st 

state in the country to adopt expansion 

through the Affordable Care Act more 

than 363,000 Louisianans have health 

care coverage that they could not afford 

prior to the expansion. More than 7,000 

adults have been screened for cancer and 

nearly 100 new cancer cases were detected. 

As a result of Medicaid expansion, 

more than 200 new and direct jobs will 

be created and expansion will produce 

Fortunately, when it comes to finding effective 

solutions for some of our most pressing problems 

several members of municipal governments have 

stepped up to the plate. 

$3.2 billion in state general fund savings 

over the next 10 years. 

The Shelter-At-Home (SAH) program 

was implemented in direct response 

to the families whose homes 

were damaged during the historic and 

catastrophic flood last August. The first 

of its kind, more than 21,000 people 

signed up to receive temporary repairs to 

their homes. As a result, they have been 

able to return and live in their homes 

while making permanent repairs and rebuilding. 

The recovery process continues 

work closely with our local government 

partners to protect the interests of local 

governments. In the near future, 

we will release details about our 2017 

Municipal Day, which will provide an 

outstanding opportunity for you to interface 

with your legislators and make 

your voices heard. 

Lastly, the staff and I are already beginning 

our plans for the 2017 Annual 

Convention, which will be held July 

27-29 at the Shreveport Convention 

Center. I am especially delighted that 

the first convention in which I will be 

for thousands of our people and we are 

determined to make certain that every 

Louisianan is made whole. 

Fortunately, when it comes to finding 

effective solutions for some of our 

most pressing problems several members 

of municipal governments have 

stepped up to the plate. They are serving 

on important task forces created by my 

office and the legislature. Those include 

the Task Force on Structural Changes 

in the Budget and Tax Policy, the Task 

Force on Transportation Infrastructure 

participating as Executive Director will 

be in my hometown. 

I am grateful for your notes and calls 

of support regarding my appointment 

as Executive Director, and for your 

confidence in my abilities to successfully 

execute this role. You have my 

heartfelt thanks. Please feel free to stop 

by the LMA building and visit with us 

any time that you are Baton Rouge. I 

look forward to working with all of our 

members and affiliates this year, and 

know that our cooperative efforts can 

help the LMA reach its maximum potential. 

Investment and the Restore Louisiana 

Task Force. All of their recommendations 

will be debated during the April 

legislative session which is why it is crucial 

that you share your ideas and get involved. 

Decisions made at the State Capitol 

this year will be among the most important 

that state leaders will have the opportunity 

during their public career to make, 

especially as it relates to the state budget. 

This will be a real chance for us to finish 

the job that we started a year ago together: 

to develop long term structural tax 

reform that will help put Louisiana on 

the path to prosperity. Let’s stand united 

in our push to secure a more prosperous 

and healthy Louisiana for all of our citizens. 

Thank you for your prayers and 

your continued support. 

DIRECTOR: cont. from page 3 PRESIDENT: cont. from page 3 

long after your time as a public servant 

has ended. 

In closing, I remind you all to join 

us in Baton Rouge for our Mid-Winter 

Conference from February 6 – 7. This 

will be a time for the sharing of ideas 

and best practice, and as we know, we 

are better and stronger when working 

together. 

So happy new year one and all. May 

your 2017 be the best year yet for the 

many plans and ideas you have to reach 

productive, positive and fruitful conclusions. 

One-Stop Debt Recovery 

At NO COST To Your City! 

DON’T LEAVE YOUR MUNICIPAL 

REVENUES IN ARREARS 

Collect unpaid utility bills, court 

fines, fees, bonds and other 

receivables with easy new 

process from LaMATS. 

LaMATS 

CALL (225) 344-5001 

WWW.LAMATS.NET/SERVICES



Rural Development 

Helping Rural Communities 

Build New Opportunities 

By Clarence W. Hawkins 

Louisiana State Director, USDA Rural Development 

Are strategic strategies necessary for 

building new economic opportunities? 

Of course they are. USDA Rural 

Development (RD) is ready to help 

municipalities, communities, organizations, 

and regions connect to take advantage 

of needed resources. By partnering 

together and aligning resources, 

the opportunity to create wealth and 

quality of life improvements is greater. 

Promoting effective community 

economic development requires a 

locally-led approach tailored to fit a 

community’s needs, resources, environment, 

and people. Through Stronger 

Economies Together (SET), RD can 

help with planning resilient communities. 

In today’s global market, economic 

growth is more likely to be realized 

when rural and metro parishes 

work together as a region to assess their 

resources and then design and implement 

plans that build on their assets 

and comparative economic strengths. 

The longer term benefit is that your region 

works collectively to create a better 

economic future. 

The goal of SET is to strengthen 

the capacity of communities/parishes 

in rural Louisiana to work together to 

develop and implement a plan for their 

multi-parish region. This blueprint 

will be one that strategically builds on 

the current and emerging economic 

strengths of that region. 

For example, RD, in conjunction with 

the Southern Rural Development Center 

(SRDC), the Cooperative Extension 

Service, and other key community/ 

economic development organizations 

and agencies in the state work together 

to implement the Stronger Economies 

Together (SET) regional planning initiative. 

Since its inception, two regions, 

SET FOREVER and Louisiana Alliance 

Cultivating Economic Success, have 

walked through the steps of regional 

planning using the Stronger Economies 

Together (SET) process. 

S E T 

FOREVER 

consists of 

the five parish 

region of 

Morehouse, 

Richland, 

Madison, East 

Carroll, and 

West Carroll. 

Partners in SET 

FOREVER include 

Northeast 

Louisiana 

Clarence W. Hawkins 

USDA Rural 

Development 

State Director 

Economic Alliance (NELEA), the 

North Delta Regional Planning and 

Development District, City and Parish 

Government officials throughout the 

five parish region, hospital districts, 

Lamb Weston (Con Agra), local river 

ports, Louisiana Economic Development 

(LED), Louisiana Workforce 

Commission, NOVA, and a host of others 

seeking to make this effort as effective as 

possible. 

SET FOREVER engaged in a yearlong 

process to create a regional plan 

based on data analytics, historical trends, 

and most importantly, the will of the people. 

The culmination of that process was 

the creation of a regional plan that was 

then submitted to the SRDC for peer review. 

The plan went through the review 

process and was determined to have met 

the criteria to be deemed a High Quality 

Plan (HQP). Regions with a designated 

HQP are granted seed funding to stimulate 

implementation of the regional plan. 

SET FOREVER partners will meet in 

the very near future to discuss plan implementation 

and use of seed funding. 

Do you need help to develop 

multi-jurisdictional plans and identify 

projects to grow and help your community 

become more resilient? RD is committed 

to strengthen rural Louisiana. 

By working together, we can make a 

difference. For more information on 

SET, contact Lee Jones, Assistant to the 

State Director at: 318.473.7930 or lee. 

jones@la.usda.gov. 

Save the Date 

LMA 80th Annual Convention 

Shreveport Hilton Convention Center 

July 27-29 

By John N. Kennedy 

Louisiana State Treasurer 

Treasury Notes 

Invest in START for Your 

Child’s Future 

Here’s a sobering statistic: The balance 

of student loans nationwide in 2014 was 

$1.08 trillion according to Forbes. Even 

worse, people make more late payments 

on student loans than they do on credit 

cards, mortgages and car loans. 

It’s important to get an education. 

It can be tough paying for it, especially 

when you’re juggling student loan payments 

at the same time you’re starting a 

family and buying a house. 

So do your child, grandchild or godchild 

a favor in 2017 and open a START 

account. 

Louisiana’s START College Saving 

Program is a savings mechanism (called 

a 529 plan) that allows investors to set 

aside what they can. The money is 

professionally managed for future educational 

expenses. Disbursements for 

qualified expenses such as tuition, fees, 

room and board, books and computers 

are not subject to state or federal taxes. 

Just last year, Christian Science 

Monitor news organization named 

START the fifth best 529 plan in the 

nation. 

In 2001, START had roughly 3,000 

accounts. Now the program has 55,694 

active accounts and total assets of $710 

million. 

Let me give you an example of what 

START can do for a child. 

In 1998, a Louisiana citizen opened 

LEGAL: cont. from page 5 

support of E-fairness measures that are 

good for local retailers and create a level 

playing field. 

Though detractors have argued that 

this amounts to a “new tax,” it is a tax 

that is supposed to be remitted already 

– it simply relies on self-reporting from 

online purchasers for enforcement. 

The reality is that it is the logistics of 

accurately and efficiently collecting the 

online sales tax that has proven problematic 

and caused delays. Once the 

proper protocols and mechanisms are 

up a START 

account for 

a 3-year-old 

child. Every 

month, $300 

was put into 

the account. 

By the time 

that toddler 

was ready for 

college, he had 

nearly $64,000 

John Kennedy 

Treasurer 

to attend 

Southern Methodist University. 

I’ll give you another example in case 

setting aside $300 a month is out of your 

budget. 

A START account was opened in 

1999 for a 13-year-old child. With 

regular deposits of $150 a month, that 

account has grown to $43,000. The 

13-year-old is now 30 and can use the 

money for graduate school. 

All that you need to open a START 

account is $10. Visit http://www. 

startsaving.la.gov/ for an application. 

With START, you can choose how 

aggressive of an investment plan you 

want. The most conservative plan 

is the Louisiana Principal Protection 

Fund, and I manage it as state treasurer. 

However, you can also opt for age-based 

funds that range from moderate to aggressive 

tracks. It’s absolutely up to you. 

Make it your goal in 2017 to establish 

a START account. 

GALLAGHER cont. from page 1 

Force, which is addressing flood recovery 

for the March and August floods. He also 

served on the Governor’s Task Force on 

Transportation Infrastructure Investment 

announced back in June of 2016. He saw 

the task force to its completion, having 

helped finalize the report for Governor 

John Bel Edwards for consideration in 

the 2017 Regular Legislative Session. 

Gallagher has worked closely with 

most of the LMA staff during his past 

17 years, which has established the professional 

working relationships vital for 

achieving the objectives of the association. 

He continues to use a team approach 

when implementing new policies 

and procedures while respecting the contributions 

of each team member. Having 

served under two executive directors and 

being a part of the strategic planning 

completion team for the LMA, Gallagher 

has specific insight for the changes needed 

for a more effective and efficient association. 

He will continue to represent the 

LMA on state and federal issues, while 

he implements the goals set forth by the 

LMA Executive Officers and Executive 

Board. His transition as executive director 

should be one of ease and excitement 

as LMA prepares to deliver quality programs 

and services for 2017. 

in place, local governments should be 

free to collect taxes on online purchases 

in a manner that comports with the will 

of their local voting constituents. 

Editor’s Note: the information provided 

in this column is not a replacement 

for consultation with your own municipal 

attorney, and it should not be considered 

legal advice for any particular case or situation. 

You are encouraged to use the contents 

of this column as a platform to have 

meaningful discussions with your municipal 

counsel regarding possible litigation 

issues.

Page 14 

In Memoriam 

The Louisiana Municipal Association treasures the memories of: 

BUDDY NUGENT 

A former mayor 

for the Town 

of Grayson, 

Buddy Nugent, 

passed away on 

November 29, 

2016, at the age 

of 88. Nugent 

served his country 

in the Air 

Force during 

the Korean War. During his career, he 

was a wildlife agent for 28 years, the 

Chief of Police in Grayson for 12 years, 

the mayor of Grayson for eight years, 

a jailer for Caldwell Parish Sheriff’s 

Department for two years and a lifelong 

mason. He spent his life serving 

his community and he will be missed 

greatly. 

RONALD ST. PIERRE 

A former mayor 

for the Town of 

Gramercy, Ronald 

St. Pierre, passed 

away on October 

7, 2016, at the age 

of 75. St. Pierre 

worked for Kaiser 

aluminum and 

chemical plant for 

32 years, served 

one term as mayor from 1999-2002, and 

was a member of the Town of Gramercy’s 

Planning and Zoning Commission. He 

was instrumental in popularizing the tradition 

of bonfire burnings for the Town 

of Gramercy, the Bonfire Capitol of the 

World. From 1984-1994, St. Pierre was 

responsible for building non-traditional 

bonfires. Through his efforts, Gramercy 

now has official bonfire events which 

brings tourism to the town. 

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January 

2 Happy New Year! The LMA office will be closed on Monday, January 2 nd in 

observance of New Year’s Day. 

16 The LMA office will be closed Monday, January 16 th in observance of Martin 

Luther King, Jr. Day. 

18 Louisiana Municipal Association Executive Committee Meeting will start at 

10:00 a.m. in the first-floor rooms of the LMA office building, 700 North 10th 

Street, Baton Rouge, 70802. Please contact Executive Assistant/Office 

Administrator Cami Barlow at cbarlow@lma.org for any questions. 

February 

6 The Risk Management, Inc., Board of Trustees Meeting will start at 9 a.m. at 

the Crowne Plaza in Premier Room III. The Louisiana Municipal Association 

Executive Board Meeting will follow at 10 a.m. in the same room. 

6-7 LMA will host its first conference of the year, the Mid-Winter Conference, at the 

Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge. See more information on pages 8 and 9. 

22 LMGA Executive Committee Meeting will start at 10:00 a.m. and the LMGA 

Executive Board Meeting will follow at 11:00 a.m. in the LMA office building in 

rooms 1 and 2 on the first floor. 

22-23 GFOA 2017 Winter Workshop will be held in Baton Rouge. Please visit 

www.lagfoa.org for more information. 

28 The LMA office will be closed on Mardi Gras Day, Tuesday, February 28 th . 


Save the Dates! 

LMA Mid-Winter Conference 

February 6 – 7, 2017 

Crowne Plaza and Executive Center 

Baton Rouge 

Register at www.lma.org or see pages 8 & 9 

LMCA 57th Annual Spring Conference 

March 2 – 3, 2017 

Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino 

Lake Charles 

Register at www.lma.org, see page 11 

NLC Congressional City Conference 


Washington, D.C. 

Register online at www.nlc.org. 

BOAL Annual Spring Conference 


Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino 

Lake Charles 

Register at www.myboal.org 

LAMSA Conference 


Chateau St. Denis in Natchitoches 

LCAA Spring CLE Conference 

March 17, 2017 

The Hotel Bentley of Alexandria 

LRPA Annual Conference 

March 6, 2017 

Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel & Casino 

Register online at www.lrpa.net 

Municipal Day 

May 3, 2017 

Baton Rouge 

GFOA 111th Annual Conference 

May 21 – May 24, 2017 

Colorado Convention Center 

Denver, Colorado 

Register at www.gfoa.org 

LMA 80th Annual Convention 

July 27 – July 29, 2017 

Shreveport Hilton Convention Center 

LAMSA Fall Conference 

TBA 

LMCA 42 nd Annual Clerks Institute 

October 22 – 26, 2017 

Baton Rouge 

LCAA Fall Conference & CLE 

October 20 – 21, 2017 

Baton Rouge 

NLC Summit (formerly Congress of Cities) 

November 15 - 18, 2017 

Charlotte, North Carolina 

Register online at www.nlc.org. 

January 2017

From left, Mayor Lavelle Brown, Oak Grove, Alderman Scott Kelly, Hessmer, Alderman Wayne From left, Councilman Arthur L. Perkins, Denham Springs, and Mayor Carroll P. Bourgeois, Addis, 

Bolton, Sibley, Mayor Pro Tempore Oscar S. Mellion, Plaquemine, Councilwoman Louisiana Carol Alfred, Municipal received Review diamond service pins marking eight terms, or 32 years, of elected municipal service. Not present 

Ville Platte, Mayor Pro Tempore Curtis Francisco, Cottonport, Councilman Jim Holland, Oak were retired Councilwoman Clara Bass, Newellton, and Councilman Clovis J. Dardeau, Ville Platte. 

Grove, and Alderwoman Susan Jeansonne, Hessmer, received service pins symbolizing four 

terms, or 16 years, of elected service. Not present were Council Member Jonathan Foster, 

Amite, Mayor Lynn Bordelon, Hessmer, Alderman Robert P. Roy, Hessmer, Councilman Rodney Professional Eighty-Eight Years Listings Young 

Geyen, Lake Charles, Mayor George L. Grace, St. Gabriel, and former Mayor James H. 

Rainwater, Sterlington. Honored posthumously was Alderman Brent Bencaz of Livingston, who 

died earlier this year. 


Mayor William D’Aquilla, St. Francisville, received a diamond service pin marking ten terms, or 

40 years, of elected municipal service. Another ten-term recipient, Mayor Pro Tempore Edwin 

Britt, Newellton, was unable to attend the ceremony. This year’s ceremony honored 33 municipal 

leaders from 21 municipalities with a combined total of 640 years of public service. 

From left, Councilman Joseph “Blackie” Landry, Addis, Councilman Russell “Rusty” Parrish, 

Addis, Councilwoman Edith Williams, Logansport, Mayor William Jeanmard, Ville Platte, 

Councilman Ronald Kevin Gantt, Rosedale, Mayor Lawrence “Football” Badeaux, Rosedale, and 

Mayor Michael Chauffe, Grosse Tete, were given service award pins marking six terms, or 24 

years, of elected service. Not present were Councilman David Adams, Golden Meadow, 

Councilman John Hoagland, Many, Councilman I. D. Bostian, Many, Mayor Kenneth Freeman, 

Many, and Councilman Patrick Loftus, Stonewall. 

With over 30 

years Call today of service to find out how you can take your place in this 

Professional to the City Listing of Service of the Louisiana Municipal Review 

widely 

Baker, Councilman 

consulted by Louisiana municipal officials when they need 

Norman E. “Pete” 

help. Heine is Contact no stranger 

to municipal editor@lma.org, ser- 

for more information. 

our Managing Editor, Tommy Darensbourg, (225) 

344-5001, 

vice. Councilman 

Heine celebrated 

his 88th birthday 

on December 4, 

2016. As possibly 

the oldest living 

LMA Past President, 

Councilman Heine 

was elected by the 

membership in 1967 

to serve as LMA 

President. He left office 

for some time before 

being re-elected 

to the Baker council 

in 2012. Since then, 

Councilman Heine 

continues to serve on 

the LMA board as a 

past president, having 

been re-elected 

as councilmember in 

the fall of 2016. 

At the December 

14th LMA Executive 

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Board meeting, 

Mayor Jennifer Vidrine of Ville Platte 

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Mayor Vidrine currently serves on 

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Mayor Jennifer Vidrine of Ville Platte (left) presents Councilman 

Pete Heine a gift of appreciation celebrating his 88th 

birthday. Photo taken by Cliff Palmer 

the LMA board as Vice President at 

Large. Mayor Vidrine expressed her 

gratitude and respect for Councilman 

Heine by saying, “The LMA is very 

fortunate to have such a historic icon 

like Pete Heine. He is a jewel of a man.” 

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It's that time of the YEAR 

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Dues for LMA and affliates have been mailed. 

Please take a moment to update your municipal 

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● Revise 

● Return 

LMA Thanks 

You

Page 16 


January 2017

January 2017

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