St. Tammany News

After months of hashing out logistics, a measure to repeal St. Tammany Parish president's three-consecutive term limit will be put to voters Oct. 20.

St. Tammany Parish council members unanimously agreed without discussion Thursday night to approve the ordinance that if passed by voters would amend the parish's Home Rule Charter established in 2000. The idea by councilman Henry Billiot of Mandeville sparked debate in recent months because it could allow Parish President Kevin Davis, who is currently term limited to three terms, to serve five consecutive terms in office.

Billiot originally introduced a two-pronged ordinance that asked voters to either add term limits for the parish council or repeal term limits for the parish president. His second proposition simply eliminates term limits removing the existing limit in place for the parish president.

"Everyone should be on equal playing fields," Billiot said.

But the ordinance's wording was "seriously flawed and should not be placed on the ballot," Tammany together interim President Rick Wilke said. Public outcry followed for more than a month, with many other civic organizations saying the measure's wording should be streamlined.

Councilman Marty Gould then offered another much simpler ordinance approved over Billiot's. He said the referendum should ask voters to repeal term limits for the parish president only. That version will appear on the Oct. 20 ballot, when high voter turnout is expected in the election for Louisiana's next governor.

In other action Thursday:

* A contract with St. Tammany's lone ambulance service, Acadian Ambulance was extended until December 2008, several years less than the original four-year plan. In the meantime, parish officials plan to debate the merits of having one ambulance provider versus many.

The debate has waged for years, said Councilman Steve Stanfanszik. In the past the parish has had numerous ambulance carriers, but "we had no accountability for an ambulance run, zero." In addition he said numerous ambulances fight compete and have "actually hit each other" to be the first to an accident. Fire Protection District 11 chief Robert Crowe said the parish is changing and needs to have more than one provider.