Home Rule charter committee revisits council‑manager option, council size and term limits

The Home Rule Charter Advisory Committee discussed options for changing St. Tammany Parish’s form of government, including a council‑manager model, and debated council size and term limits during a committee meeting.

John Vincent, a resident of Bridal Springs who submitted written materials to the committee, told members he sees “a disconnect between the council and the administration.” He urged solutions that would give the council more direct ability to resolve day‑to‑day interpretation and enforcement problems, including forming short ad hoc groups of council members and administrators to resolve ordinance interpretation before it becomes a neighborhood dispute.

Committee members responded with a range of views. Several members praised the idea of a professional manager who would report to the council; others emphasized the value of an independent, elected executive as a check on an administrative manager. Committee member Impastato said countywide manager models tend to increase public engagement; another member, Collins, said he prefers checks and balances that include an independently elected official. Committee member Lamorne urged additional study and public data collection before structural changes.

The committee agreed to seek outside expert briefings and research. Committee members said Jason Grant, director of advocacy at the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), has agreed to present material at the next meeting (possibly by Zoom) to explain council‑manager arrangements. Members also asked staff to contact the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) about an updated study; the committee noted the parish’s last comprehensive study dated from 2002.

The committee did not advance or adopt any charter changes on the topic. Members agreed to collect more data, hear the ICMA briefing, and continue the discussion at the next meeting, which the committee scheduled for April 24 in Slidell.

Why it matters: Changing a municipal form of government or council size would alter who holds day‑to‑day authority, how constituents gain access to officials, and where legal and budgetary responsibility rests. The committee emphasized public outreach and additional expert study before recommending charter amendments.

Next steps: The committee asked staff to arrange the ICMA briefing, to solicit updated research from BGR, and to circulate the resident submissions and committee comments for further review before bringing draft charter language back to the committee.