Proposal by A Better Ascension to change parish executive will go … – The Advocate

DONALDSONVILLE The proposal by the group A Better Ascension to eliminate the elected Ascension Parish president position in favor of a more autonomous, appointed parish manager won't make it to the ballot this fall as the plan's backers had hoped.

Ascension Parish Council Chairman Bill Dawson announced Thursday night he is establishing a council committee to hold at least three public meetings on the plan before the full council decides whether to put the measure before the voters. One of those meetings will have to be in west Ascension.

Reading from a statement, Dawson said the committee will have the "specific task of publicly vetting the charter amendments proposed by A Better Ascension." Dawson said the new committee will be composed of the entire 11-member council.

Backers of the A Better Ascension proposal want to make major changes to the parish home rule charter, which is Ascension's plan of government, to create the new parish manager position in a bid to improve efficiency and insulate the parish executive from political back and forth.

The creation of the committee by Dawson means three groups will be holding public meetings on A Better Ascension's plan in the coming weeks and months, including another Parish Council committee and A Better Ascension itself.

GONZALES With an attempted bribery indictment hanging over the head of Ascension Parish Pr

Amendments to the home rule charter require a vote of the public. At least two-thirds of the council, or eight members, must vote to put proposed charter changes on the ballot.

The proposal would mean the parish executive would not be directly elected by voters, as the parish president is now, but would be selected by the Parish Council after nomination by a separate committee of primarily business leaders.

The proposal has already drawn opposition from sitting Parish President Kenny Matassa, his 2015 election runoff opponent surveyor Clint Cointment, and some council members. But other members expressed openness to the idea.

Dawson had said earlier there was likely a window to get the measure on the November ballot if the council had been able to vote on the proposal by the end of this month. But Dawson said Thursday the committee of the whole chairman won't make his first progress report to the Parish Council until mid-September.Dawson has named Councilman Travis Turner as chairman of the new committee and Councilman Aaron Lawler as the vice chairman.

Separate from Dawson's initiative, Councilman Daniel "Doc" Satterlee also called for discussion of A Better Ascension's proposal before the committee he chairs, the Council Strategic Planning Committee, which meets 6:30 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Parish Courthouse Annex in Gonzales.

A Better Ascension, the nonprofit group of business people pushing the measure, is also planning public meetings later this month.

JHudson, a spokesman for A Better Ascension, said before the council meeting Thursday that the group's members respect "the process and are looking forward to sharing our message of professionalism, accountability, and efficiency throughout Ascension."

"Ultimately, the charter belongs to the people of Ascension," Hudson said. "Their voices deserve to be heard regarding these changes."

A Better Ascension is composed of business leaders from Ascension, including Eatel Corp. President John Scanlan and LABI political action committee director and Republican pollster and strategist John Diez Jr., a Gonzales native.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

Read more here:

Proposal by A Better Ascension to change parish executive will go ... - The Advocate