Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Charter Amendment Process topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Advisory committee hears legal outline on charter amendments; Tulane expert urges phased outreach
Summary
Legal counsel outlined the parish charter amendment steps and timelines, and David Marcello of Tulane Law School described New Orleans— multi-phase charter revision experience and cautioned on timing, scope and public outreach.
Carrie Menard, legal counsel to the Home Rule Charter Advisory Committee, told the panel that authority to change the parish charter rests with the Louisiana Constitution, the Louisiana Revised Statutes and the parish—s Home Rule Charter and that any proposed amendment ultimately must be approved by a majority of voters.
"The authority to amend the Charter comes from the Constitution, from the Louisiana revised statutes, and as well as the Home Road Charter itself," Menard said, and she summarized procedural requirements including publication and minimum waiting periods before a vote.
The committee then heard from David Marcello of the Public Law Center at Tulane Law School, who described New Orleans— multi-year charter-revision effort and framed a four-phase approach: advisory committee work, review by elected officials, a public information campaign and implementation. Marcello said the city—s 1995 package passed by a roughly 68-32 margin after a sustained public outreach effort.
"We had a 68 to 32 favorable 2 to 1 majority," Marcello said, describing the outcome in New Orleans. He emphasized that timing and scope affect voter response: initiatives placed late in an official—s term or presented as many separate propositions can depress voter support.
Menard provided specific timing rules the committee will need to follow if the council places amendments before voters: publication of proposed amendments in the official journal within 30 days of petition certification or council action and at least a 30-day delay before an election. She also noted procedural limits: an amendment cannot shorten an incumbent—s term or reduce an elected official—s salary, and a charter topic that fails or is adopted cannot be reintroduced for two years.
Committee members asked practical questions about how changes would be implemented if the charter altered council size or districting. Menard said implementation timing can be specified in the amendment text and need not align with the decennial census, though redistricting timed to new census data "sure would make it easier." Several members urged that the committee research who would redraw district boundaries and what legal authorities or outside bodies would need to be engaged.
Marcello advised planning for time and public education. He described New Orleans— experience of appointing subcommittees, staging public forums, and preparing a one-page highlights summary to aid media coverage and voter understanding.
The committee did not vote on any charter language at the meeting; members directed staff to arrange further informational presentations and to research redistricting and implementation issues for potential future amendments.
