After repeated 7–7 tie votes and a night of procedural maneuvers, the St. Tammany Parish Council elected Councilman Rick Smith as vice chair in a late-night voice vote.

Background: The council repeatedly deadlocked between Rick Smith and Councilwoman Maureen O’Brien for the vice chair position. Several attempts to reopen nominations failed, and members debated the legal implications of postponing the vote under the parish Home Rule Charter. Public commenters expressed frustration at the stalemate; one attendee said, “When are you gonna start respecting us?” and urged the council to make a decisive choice.

Council debate: Councilmembers discussed multiple options, including reopening nominations, postponement to a special meeting, and even coin-flip-style mechanisms discussed informally. Legal staff repeatedly cautioned about charter language requiring an annual election and the limits of postponement. Several councilmembers advocated for each candidate: supporters of O’Brien cited experience and peacemaking skills; supporters of Smith cited finance and past leadership work. O’Brien said she sought to be a “peacemaker” and help the council “make our best better.” Smith said the stalemate was “embarrassing” and expressed his desire to move forward.

Final outcome: Late in the meeting, with council members moving to a verbal roll-call approach, the chair recorded a change in votes and announced that Smith had received nine votes to O’Brien’s five and was declared vice chair. The council then introduced a resolution to formalize the appointment and later voted to approve it.

Why it matters: The vice chair serves as the council’s substitute presiding officer; the extended deadlock exposed intra-council divisions and prompted public criticism about governance and responsiveness. Several members urged improved team-building and suggested council training or facilitated sessions to improve working relationships.

Next steps: The council introduced (and subsequently approved) a resolution confirming the appointment. Councilmembers and staff discussed options to avoid similar deadlocks in the future, including clearer nomination practices and potential charter clarifications at a later date.

Reporting note: The transcript records many rounds of tied votes and procedural motions; exact roll-call permutations changed during late-night verbal and voice votes.