Photograph: Interim Registrar of Voters Discusses Voter Selection with council member Timothy LeJeune at the end of an August meeting. (Photograph by Bobby Ardoin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
The possible selection for the St. Landry Parish Registrar of Voters will be the key issue facing the Parish Council at separate meetings scheduled this week.
On Tuesday beginning at 5 p.m. council members will have the opportunity during a special meeting to interview and pose questions to candidates for the Registrar’s position that was left open in July following the retirement of Registrar Cheryl Milburn.
Then on Wednesday the selection of the Registrar is scheduled to be the final item on the regular monthly meeting agenda. The Wednesday meeting starts at 6 p.m., with a 5:45 public hearing set to discuss whether signs should be placed on adjudicated property parish government is scheduled to sell.
Each council member will be able to interview and ask questions during the special meeting for candidates Lauren Jones and Byron Stelly, according to Council Clerk Sherell Jordan.
Jones has been deputy corner under the Milburn administration and has served as interim corner after Milburn went into retirement.
Stelly, a former St. Landry Parish resident has been the St. Mary Parish registrar of voters for several years.
Council Attorney Garrett Duplechain said during a Monday interview that the Tuesday special meeting will probably be held in open session, that is, with the public in attendance as the interview process occurs. Duplechain added however that he is still researching whether there might be situations where the meeting could go into a closed session.
Duplechain said the council chairman will be in charge of the special meeting.
Council chairman Vivian Olivier is in charge of the special meeting Duplechain said and if Olivier is present for the Tuesday meeting it will be up to her to determine the rules of the meeting, including whether each candidate will be allowed to present an opening statement in addition to the line of questioning from council members.
