St. Mary Parish Council Calls for Charter Revision Election

Proposed changes include reducing council size, term limits, and eliminating chief administrative officer role

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The St. Mary Parish Council has passed a resolution calling for a June 27 election to vote on a series of proposed changes to the parish charter. The changes were recommended by an 11-member Charter Review Commission and include reducing the council from 11 to 8 members by eliminating the three at-large districts, imposing term limits, updating procedures, and eliminating the chief administrative officer position.

Why it matters

The proposed charter revisions aim to streamline parish governance and bring the parish president role closer to a full-time position, which advocates say is needed to better compete on economic development initiatives. However, the elimination of the at-large council seats is expected to be controversial, with some council members concerned about an "all-or-nothing" vote for voters.

The details

The council originally passed an ordinance last month calling for the election, but a resolution was required to seek state approval to put the measure on the ballot. Some council members had hoped to find a less expensive election date than the June 27 date required by state law and the ordinance itself. The six major proposed changes include reducing the council from 11 to 8 members by eliminating the three at-large districts, adjusting compensation for the parish president and council members, imposing 1.5 term limits, eliminating the chief administrative officer role, updating procedures, and removing outdated sections.

  • The St. Mary Parish Council passed a resolution on February 12, 2026 calling for a charter revision election on June 27, 2026.
  • The 11-member Charter Review Commission spent a year working on the proposed changes.

The players

St. Mary Parish Council

The governing body of St. Mary Parish, Louisiana that passed the resolution calling for the charter revision election.

Charter Review Commission

An 11-member commission that spent a year developing the proposed changes to the St. Mary Parish charter.

Patrick Hebert

A Berwick council member who said the election date could make a $66,000 difference in the cost of holding the vote.

Kristi Prejeant Rink

A Centerville council member who expressed concern about the "all-or-nothing" nature of the proposition for voters.

Rodney Olander

A Franklin council member who pointed to the potential for a six-figure salary for the parish president in a social media post.

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What they’re saying

“Picking the right date could be the difference between paying $80,000 for the election and $14,000.”

— Patrick Hebert, Berwick Council Member (stmarynow.com)

“The elimination of the three at-large districts seems likely to cause controversy.”

— Kristi Prejeant Rink, Centerville Council Member (stmarynow.com)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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