[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6127557,"mediaKeyId","2662729-616ce5bccaab893b8cd8bb33a2ca39fd","parentId",2662729,"title","Legal staff clarifies cooperative agreements, privatization and who adopts the parish comprehensive plan","audioSeconds",785,"startMs",6321000,"endMs",7106000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2662729-616ce5bccaab893b8cd8bb33a2ca39fd&start=6321&end=7106","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2662729-616ce5bccaab893b8cd8bb33a2ca39fd/thumbnail_6321000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6127557/Louisiana/Legal-staff-clarifies-cooperative-agreements-privatization-and-who-adopts-the-parish-comprehensive-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6127557-e059a111f23de8cee6af051b957f1a7c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771086790&Signature=QOgkqlBgaXmvRkbhGwBHL0ORQEvhEJqIif9EUYAytfN0Zaxscl5R5zil3jSEcYOl5hkSpHLUNL9-OgpU-uZB1NBeTAcHrp2Z1I9FnrSr08X1pcCqyHnaf4tPr67w9M0~SzfNl2YEUHa92oK-KCfv4aARXQ4mqnTjVoIAvKsyXxWf-Nxjjgrf4VJeT7kMWL~n4TdKcZFC2dfMDfGoMv9g9qpQY9IWoALziTI3Kk6fLxfTftbo~oWiYcsxBsy7fc4C5FcKF59Z2cJsoHQLD5PfHtYV~NiYLuHJshuLy-bVF72ottW-fgmWJgl41XfFy9dYTEq8GDwPgFoEDZggm99OHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","STPGtv","date","2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","article","St. Tammany Parish legal staff briefed the Home Rule Charter Review Committee on March 27 about limits and authorities in the parish charter and state law regarding cooperative agreements, privatization of services, use of outside counsel and adoption of the comprehensive plan.

Legal counsel said parish government already has the authority to contract with private firms for services such as grass cutting, drainage maintenance and other operational tasks and that cooperative agreements with other governmental entities are likewise permitted. Counsel cautioned that the Louisiana Constitution constrains the use of public funds — citing Article 7, Section 14 — so the parish cannot gratuitously donate taxpayer dollars to private entities. Counsel said that in practice contracting and competitive procurement are commonly used for privatized services and that charter language can clarify intent but cannot override constitutional limits.

Committee members asked whether the charter should be amended to explicitly reference private‑sector cooperative arrangements or privatization preferences; legal staff suggested adding a dedicated charter section on public‑private partnerships or privatization intent rather than editing the general intergovernmental cooperative agreement clause.

Counsel also addressed who adopts the parish comprehensive plan. NACo and members of the public had raised questions about the 2040 master plan process. Legal counsel said state law assigns adoption of the comprehensive plan to the planning commission; the parish council enacts, enforces and uses the plan through zoning and ordinance actions. Counsel noted the council still must consult and use the master plan when making zoning decisions.

Committee members discussed other charter language points: whether to clarify the definition of \"parish\" when the charter refers to actions the \"parish\" may take (legal staff said such wording has been used intentionally to allow administrative actions in routine intergovernmental agreements while reserving appropriation decisions for the council). Counsel offered to draft sample language on public‑private partnerships and to research whether additional charter text would be appropriate to permit contracting where lawful and to identify any services that could not be privatized because of statutory or funding restrictions.

Ending

Legal counsel’s clarifications left the committee with three practical follow‑ups: (1) staff will draft recommended language for an explicit public‑private partnership/privatization section for the committee to consider; (2) counsel confirmed the planning commission adopts the comprehensive plan under state law and the council applies it when acting on zoning matters; and (3) the clerk/PIO was assigned to update meeting notices after the committee voted to move the next meeting to March 31 at 6:00 PM.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","St. Tammany Parish Home Rule Charter Committee March 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","St. Tammany Parish legal counsel told the charter review committee on March 27 that the parish can contract for private provision of services and enter cooperative agreements with other governments but remains constrained by the Louisiana Constitution’s prohibition on gratuitous donations of public funds.","taxTitle","St. Tammany Parish Public Administrator, Boards & Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Louisiana","taxId",25594,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6127563,"NACo researcher briefs St. Tammany charter panel on county government forms and trends",1466,4007000,5473000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2662729-616ce5bccaab893b8cd8bb33a2ca39fd&start=4007&end=5473","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2662729-616ce5bccaab893b8cd8bb33a2ca39fd/thumbnail_4007000.jpg","/articles/6127563/Louisiana/NACo-researcher-briefs-St-Tammany-charter-panel-on-county-government-forms-and-trends","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6127563-2d0687eaf5587de6af5259e6004f5539/orig.mp4?Expires=1771086790&Signature=YtsBt0tyYcrRQuK58Y8Yvket~Y-u~MuNFKcN5ArvVmOfgjXTAOjowjlIjFmE98cdvhnbnz3kU3khHVXQXwsSBtvYAOh7DIe421NYJuKRLtEo7RuvyWQhHW93JnUypNiPpqJa7xzVWIWNDp2nQTdhhN~Z84kKwc~OtyVIEeLNywgKrYqsKEbw6rEs2FgxfruBmST46WeQOlKX3Ps3FMNRA5Lf9z3nwA-2VY03K4gz4uF5b2v20N6z1zYCupl6JC7VPRj7Tszjuc2j9NqECk8lB-HTr7TinOaiZRS1fw5Jsq~hAUw6JVE~cgNZydnanF0jru4aPX6KJctymXrtzXw20w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jonathan Harris, associate director for research at the National Association of Counties (NACo), briefed the St. Tammany Parish Home Rule Charter Review Committee by Zoom on March 27 about national patterns in county governance, including council sizes, executive structures and legal frameworks that shape local authority.

Harris said most U.S. counties are small by population (more than two‑thirds with fewer than 50,000 residents), but most residents live in larger counties. He placed St. Tammany Parish in the \"medium‑size\" category by population (50,000–500,000) and noted its geographic area is roughly average for U.S. counties. Using a set of about 31 comparison counties with roughly similar population density, Harris described trends in council size, election format and the growing use of appointed administrators.

Key points from NACo's preliminary research, as presented by Harris, included:

- Council size: Nationally, most county legislative bodies have three or five members; Saint Tammany Parish is an outlier with 14 members among U.S. counties. In the NACo comparison set the average council size was about eight members; among home‑rule counties it was slightly higher.
- Election format: Most counties elect commissioners by district; counties that elect by district tended to have larger councils in NACo's sample.
- Executive/administration: About 43% of U.S. counties have an appointed administrator; fewer counties have an elected executive. NACo identified a decades‑long trend toward appointing professional administrators for day‑to‑day management.
- Term limits and compensation: Term limits at the county level remain rare; statewide compensation surveys exist, but NACo does not maintain a comprehensive national database on local elected official salaries.

Harris said NACo’s ongoing research also looks at intergovernmental authority and that states vary widely in how much latitude they grant county or parish governments to change structure or fiscal authority. He pointed the committee to NACo tools including county profile pages and a county explorer mapping tool for comparative data.

Committee members asked Harris about trends over the past five to 10 years (he said analysis was ongoing but that the longer trend favored appointed administrators) and whether NACo compiles compensation rankings or success metrics linking governance form to measurable outcomes (NACo does not publish formal county rankings). Harris offered to provide follow‑up materials and state‑level compensation survey sources.

Ending

Committee members said NACo’s national perspective helped frame local decisions the committee will take up in Article 2 (council composition) and other sections of the charter review.","Jonathan Harris of the National Association of Counties outlined national data on county/parish sizes, council structures, executives and trends such as rising use of professional administrators and variation in council sizes and election formats.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6127567,"St. George officials tell St. Tammany Charter panel their rapid Home Rule charter process focused on professional management and privatization",3862,144000,4006000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2662729-616ce5bccaab893b8cd8bb33a2ca39fd&start=144&end=4006","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2662729-616ce5bccaab893b8cd8bb33a2ca39fd/thumbnail_144000.jpg","/articles/6127567/Louisiana/St-George-officials-tell-St-Tammany-Charter-panel-their-rapid-Home-Rule-charter-process-focused-on-professional-management-and-privatization","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6127567-79b5422df293fbdff3574b4f403323ed/orig.mp4?Expires=1771086790&Signature=X8mFfMlQd01ZM7A0Fn947Dd1HwM8KBu7qRfKgJnsfaPKlvRmffJC-bt0sfeLnDnrsV7Z7jvCriLqBuZBLZiX3-pJB8d0gEtkHfsoBegBQt4KbMD0MF5nEmaNOuwEH-8PLapfmrCPIJaA-ZssY4VylsX7fZAf9gp40XR9DQSj4KIFIzrzXXuZCoyDhPPbp7U60U-M6-b6nSTXYLAb~o~N3k84jRGcuk~MCa5lkNxwupT8TQfM0GCmYhHxqHX2~usD4LlbVFxzX~uR7PKjmcDF1OPW1p2YSdIsrXBn2V41SIZuqdwViAlaTqZHHzdIkzxJshsTBNO5zQv8h8pdNCOw7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members from the City of St. George told the St. Tammany Parish Home Rule Charter Review Committee on March 27 that St. George’s recently completed Home Rule Charter emphasizes a council‑manager form of government, limits on taxation, privatization of routine services where feasible and automatic periodic review of the charter.

The presentation was framed as practical advice: presenters described St. George’s Home Rule Charter Commission as an 11‑member body that drafted a charter in about four months, held multiple public meetings and unanimously approved the document before sending it to voters. A presenter identified in meeting remarks as the Home Rule Charter Commission chair said the commission chose a council‑manager model in part to provide professional management, continuity and clearer accountability for local services.

St. George officials stressed why they favored the council‑manager model over a strong mayor model. The presenters said a professionally appointed city manager prepares the budget and oversees day‑to‑day operations while the mayor focuses on economic development and public leadership. \"A city manager will be qualified to do it, professionally qualified, paid to do it,\" the commission chair said during the presentation. He added the council could then exercise review and veto powers as an additional check on the executive.

Presenters described specifics in their charter and governance choices: St. George plans for seven council members (five district seats and two at‑large), council pay by ordinance at $36,000 per year, a full‑time mayor position (the presenters said the mayor salary was set by ordinance at about $160,000), and an intention to keep direct city staff small — \"less than 20\" full‑time municipal employees — while contracting out many maintenance and operational services. They said the city’s principal dedicated revenue source is a 2% sales tax.

The presenters said St. George used outside consultants during drafting and outreach, which they estimated cost roughly $40,000–$50,000. They also described adding a charter provision that any future increase in city taxes must be referred to voters, and an automatic requirement that a new Home Rule Charter Commission be convened every 10 years after the census to review the charter.

The presenters described practical pitfalls. They urged extensive public engagement to avoid perceptions that citizens were excluded, recommended not putting council salaries into the charter (instead leaving pay to ordinance), and warned that simultaneous candidate races can make the charter a campaign issue. They also recounted relying heavily on a private contractor (named in the presentation) to run initial city operations while revenues were being transferred to the new city.

Public and committee members asked questions about St. George’s population, projected revenues and how services such as law enforcement would be provided. Presenters said St. George’s estimated population is roughly 86,000–90,000; projected annual revenue once collections begin was described as about $65 million with projected expenses under $30 million. The presenters said St. George deliberately prohibited creation of a municipal police department in its charter and instead relies on the parish sheriff and district attorney for law enforcement and prosecution, while planning to invest in equipment or substations to improve local responses.

Committee members and residents raised concerns about the tradeoffs of privatizing functions such as permitting or inspections; one audience member and a committee member warned of risks where private inspection programs had failed in other municipalities.

The presentation closed after audience Q&A and the committee thanked the St. George representatives for traveling to present their experience.

Ending

The St. George presentation provided the committee with a working example of a recently drafted Home Rule Charter to consider as the panel begins its review of St. Tammany Parish’s charter options. Committee members said they would use aspects of the St. George experience — public outreach, provisions for charter review, choice of government form and careful budgeting — as they examine parish proposals.","Council members from the newly formed City of St. George described to the St. Tammany Parish Home Rule Charter Review Committee how their four‑month Home Rule Charter process emphasized a council‑manager government, privatizing services where possible, term limits and a 10‑year automatic charter review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Legal staff clarifies cooperative agreements, privatization and who adopts the parish comprehensive plan

NACo researcher briefs St. Tammany charter panel on county government forms and trends

St. George officials tell St. Tammany Charter panel their rapid Home Rule charter process focused on professional management and privatization