Crisis in Port Allen

The City of Port Allen has had four mayors in the past two-and-a-half years, and a former mayor and a former police chief are serving time in federal prison for racketeering.
But that’s just
the beginning of
Port Allen’s problems, according to City Councilman Hugh Riviere, who told the Ronald Reagan Newsmaker Luncheon Tuesday that honesty and integrity are still under assault in Port Allen city government.  “Port Allen is a wonderful place with good people, and the past 36 months are not a true reflection of our city or our people,” he said. Riviere, who was joined at the luncheon by Port Allen City Councilman Gary Hubble, said Port Allen Mayor Deedy Slaughter, who took office in January, has been violating the law on many fronts, including
•    Unilaterally raising her pay to $85,000 a year, when the city budget set it at $65,000
•    Using $2,400 in city funds to attend the inauguration of President Obama, where no city business was conducted
•    Illegally dismissing the city’s Chief Financial Officer, which he said can only be done with approval of the City Council
•    Denying the CFO authority to access the City of Port Allen’s on-line bank accounts
Earlier this year, Council members objected to the Mayor’s hiring her brother-in-law, Ralph Slaughter, as a $95,000-a-year personal assistant to the mayor.  Ralph Slaughter was previously dismissed as president of Southern University.
Riviere, Hubble, and fellow City Councilman R. J. Loupe filed suit in the 18th Judicial District Court to stop Slaughter’s actions.
District Judge Alvin Batiste ruled that the City Council could not set Mayor Slaughter’s salary in the budget and would have to pass a specific ordinance for that purpose.  He also said the Council would have to pass a specific ordinance directing the mayor to repay the cost of attending the Obama inauguration.  Likewise, the Council would have to pass an ordinance granting the city’s CFO access to the on-line bank account.
Any ordinance passed by the five-member City Council would be subject to veto by the mayor.  It would take four votes to override such a veto.
It is unclear if either of the two other Council members — Councilwoman Ray Helen Lawrence or Councilman Brandon Brown — would vote to override a veto.
Councilman Riviere said Port Allen should not be in the news so much.  “Five-second sound bites don’t tell the story of our city,” he said.  He told of walking out his front door into a beautiful city park where people of all ages gather to enjoy the live oaks and nearby the view of the river and the Baton Rouge skyline.  “If you like small town living, that’s what Port Allen is all about.”
But, meanwhile, city government in Port Allen has had a dark side.  Former Mayor Derek Lewis was convicted of racketeering and sentenced to 40 months in federal prison.  He is currently serving in Beaumont, Texas,  Former police chief Fred Smith was also convicted of racketeering and is serving seven years in Jonesboro, Ark.
A recent report by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor made three findings:
•    The Mayor’s salary has never been set by ordinance but rather by the city budget.  The city cannot exceed the amount in the city budget for the Mayor’s salary without an amendment to the budget.
•    Mayor Slaughter’s written explanation of using $2,432 in city funds to attend the Inauguration did not show a public purpose.
•    Mayor Slaughter is receiving a travel allowance that is neither budgeted nor approved by the City Council.
New City Hall security measured implemented by Mayor Slaughter resulted in a reporter from WBRZ-TV being denied access to City Hall, which resulted in more controversy.
Councilman Gary Hubble told the Ronald Reagan Newsmaker Luncheon that the City of Port Allen has been through a rough patch lately.  He said, “Remember, public money is your money, not the mayor’s.  There should be transparency in the use of public money.”
Hubble said he went into office in January with positive plans for the city.  Instead, the City Council has had to spend its time trying to fight an official who is abusing the system.
Port Allen’s former Chief Financial Officer, Claire Sarradet, who served the city for more than 30 years, spoke out during the meeting.  She praised the City Council members, saying that they stand for good government.  She said, “These men are very humble.  They are performing a great public service and actually dug into their own pockets to pay for this litigation.  The city is not paying their legal bills.  We are establishing a fund and want to help them pay these expenses.”
Mrs. Sarradet said, “You’ve heard just a small slice of what is going on.  I’ve worked with many mayors and many councils.  Now council meetings [which are presided over by the mayor under the Lawrason Act] are very disheartening.  We are seeing a blatant abuse of power.  The Lawrason Act was written for another time, and the mayor is taking advantage of loopholes in that act.  You have to have the right people in place, standing up for all the people.”
At last night’s meeting of the Port Allen City Council, Councilwoman Ray Helen Lawrence proposed amending the city budget to increase the mayor’s salary from $65,000 to $85,000.
The Council voted 2-3 against the pay raise with Council members Lawrence and Brandon Brown voting yes and Council members Hugh Riviere, Gary Hubble, and R. J. Loupe voting no.
Councilman Loupe agreed to let the matter be considered again at the next meeting.