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After contentious debate over a prior removal and court rulings, council reappoints tourism board member
Summary
Following weeks of litigation and public testimony about an earlier removal, the Livingston Parish Council voted 5–2 to appoint Miss Levy to the tourism/convention and visitors bureau, rejecting a substitute motion to reinstate the previously removed member; the exchange included extensive legal discussion about council authority and open‑meetings findings.
The Livingston Parish Council voted April 23 to appoint Miss Levy to the parish tourism/convention and visitors bureau by a 5–2 margin after a lengthy, often heated debate about a prior removal, subsequent court rulings and the parish’s legal exposure.
Council discussion revisited litigation over a previous council action to remove a tourism board member, testimony that the council lacked authority to remove that director midterm under state law, and related open‑meetings issues. Public commenter Mindy Starky urged the council to focus on the legal findings, saying the lawsuits centered on alleged violations of the state’s open‑meetings law and on agenda wording that had been challenged in court.
Several council members argued that the council should “make it right” for the previously removed director after the court process concluded; others warned that revisiting the matter would reopen community division and expose taxpayers to additional legal costs. One council member framed the issue as a matter of principle and restitution; another described the matter as divisive and urged the body to stop revisiting the dispute.
After substitute motions and public comment, the council conducted two separate votes. A substitute motion to reappoint the previously removed member failed; the subsequent motion to appoint Miss Levy passed 5–2. The minutes record the two no votes as Councilman Mangus and a second council member identified in the record as “Councilman G.” (transcript identifies the two nos but does not provide a full name for the second dissenting vote in a single line). The council also recorded the prior court decisions: a first‑circuit ruling found the council lacked authority to remove the director midterm under state statute, while the Louisiana Supreme Court’s later action narrowed the remedies related to attorney‑fee awards but did not overturn the finding that the council lacked removal authority on statutory grounds.
Council members and staff described legal options taken earlier in the litigation (including the decision whether to appeal) and noted the parish incurred legal fees in the related cases. Speakers urged colleagues to balance legal exposure, precedent and community harmony when making an appointment. The reappointment is an administrative appointment to a state‑created tourism board; council members were reminded that tourism board governance is governed by state statutes that define term lengths and appointment authority.
Next steps: The council’s appointment takes effect immediately. No additional funding or operational changes for the tourism board were recorded during the meeting.
