At its meeting Thursday afternoon, the Plan of Government Amendment committee will consider bringing on a city-parish manager as well as a new procedure for filling vacant Metro Council seats, both potentially significant changes to the city-parish constitution.
In a nutshell, the city-parish manager would be a strengthened version of what is now known as the Chief Administrative Officer. The key difference: Rather than “assist the mayor,” as the CAO’s role description entails, the city-parish manager would “supervise all the positions of government reporting to the mayor-president.”
Adam Knapp, the committee’s Baton Rouge Area Chamber delegate, and Winston DeCuir, the Southern University Law Center delegate, first presented the concept to the group a few months ago.
“It sounds like a minor tweak, but that tweak changes the authority and role of the CAO to truly be responsible for holding the agencies accountable to their tasks and delegated duties,” Knapp says, noting it’s still an “evolving discussion” and is not yet meant to be viewed as a proposal.
As currently envisioned, the position would be appointed by the mayor-president and would also have to be approved by a majority of Metro Council members—a process Knapp says “nicely mirrors” that of the selection and confirmation process the state uses for the Commissioner of Administration role, which is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Louisiana Senate.
However, the mayor would have the exclusive authority to terminate the city-parish manager, Decuir says, reflecting an intention for the position to “truly serve as an asset to the mayor.”
The committee will also to consider a proposed amendment by Metro Councilwoman Chauna Banks that would change the procedure for filling vacancies on the Metro Council by enabling qualified residents to submit an application to be considered for appointment to the vacant seat, as reported Monday by Daily Report. Banks’ proposal comes after Metro Councilwoman Denise Amoroso filled the seat of her husband, Buddy Amoroso, after his sudden death—a move leading the council to erupt in controversy.
While both items will be discussed, the committee might not vote on either at its meeting Thursday, notes Metro Council administrator Ashley Beck, who adds members typically prefer using the meeting time to have in-depth discussions about more substantive items, deferring the vote for a later meeting.
The committee will convene Thursday at the Metro Council chambers, 222 St. Louis St., from 1 to 4 p.m.
