Committee seeks a single ordinance to require oath, training and oversight for parish board appointees

The Livingston Parish Ordinance Committee opened discussion on requiring parish board appointees to follow state and federal law on oaths and to complete required training. Committee members agreed to have staff draft a single, concise ordinance that would require training completion and notification to the clerk while preserving civil-service processes for employee disciplinary matters.

Danielle Robinson, a public commenter, told the committee that "taking an oath is not enough" and urged a vetting and enforcement process so that appointed board members and employees cannot conceal misconduct in private sessions. She called for required training, procedures for investigation, and mechanisms that allow the council to be notified before disciplinary decisions that could affect public trust.

Ricky Goff (Parish Council District 7) recommended relying on existing civil-service tools for employee matters while requiring board appointees to take training and submit proof. Committee counsel and members discussed jurisdictional constraints — noting that civil-service law governs many employee-discipline processes — and proposed a policy that would require boards to consult civil service on disciplinary actions involving civil-service employees, then inform the council of that recommendation.

The chair asked council attorneys and staff to draft a consolidated ordinance based on the committee discussion, to keep the language simple and clear, and to circulate a draft to members by email for review before returning the item to committee. Members said they preferred taking extra time to get the language right rather than piecemealing multiple measures.