Is the St. Tammany Parish Council too big? A new committee will study it.

By Bob Warren

Source: The Times-PIcayune | Nola.com

November 28, 2023

In a move that could ultimately result in the shrinking of the governing body on which they serve, St. Tammany Parish Council members voted this month to appoint a committee to study the parish’s 25-year-old charter.

Central to any charter discussion will be whether to reduce the size of the council itself. With its current 14 members, the council is a throwback to the days of the old St. Tammany Police Jury, which also had 14 members. But as the parish continues to grow away from its rural roots, some members have said it’s time to reduce the size of the council, perhaps to seven elected officials, and make the jobs full-time.

Council member Mike Lorino broached the idea with his council colleagues earlier this year. And in June, Lorino was part of a Bureau of Governmental Research discussion panel weighing such a change.

Lorino said a smaller, full-time council would be much more efficient. He noted that a seven-member council, with five district and two at-large seats, would bring it in line with Jefferson and Orleans parishes.

But slashing the size of the council would require a good bit of work. District lines would have to be redrawn. Full-time council members would require more pay and perhaps more staff. And voters would have to approve a charter change to make it happen.

“This is really seeing how it would work – seeing it if could work,” said Council Chair Jake Airey, who authored the committee resolution.

Airey said the group will also look at other issues, including budgeting and legal representation for the council. The committee will report its recommendations back to the full council.

Council Administrator Gina Campo said the names of prospective members would likely be ready for the council to vote on Dec. 7.

A time-line hasn’t been established, Campo said. It’s worth noting that nine of the council’s 14 districts will have new representatives starting in January, following a shakeup in the fall elections.

“We’re in the process of looking at how it’s going to be set up and who will be on it,” she said. “We’re identifying the stakeholder groups.”

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