[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish Councilman Wayne Landry to assume interim administrative control

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Parish Councilman Wayne Landry to assume interim administrative
control

Published: Tuesday, December 20, 2011, 5:41 PM     Updated: Tuesday,
December 20, 2011, 5:52 PM

 By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, The Times-Picayune 

Today's council meeting was the last before St. Bernard Parish switches next
year to its new council and administration, but mixed in with farewells and
pats on the back, the conversation was dominated by council infighting and a
crisis over who would assume temporary administrative control of the parish.
Ultimately Councilman Wayne Landry, through his role as chairman of the
Parish Council's executive finance committee, will oversee administrative
decisions until Parish President-elect Dave Peralta takes over Jan. 10.

Peralta beat out incumbent Parish President Craig Taffaro in the Nov. 19
runoff, prompting Taffaro to take a job as the state's director of hazard
mitigation and recovery. After Taffaro resigned last week, he said Col.
David Dysart, the parish's homeland security director and chief
administrative officer, would oversee administrative duties until Peralta's
inauguration.

However, Dysart submitted his resignation to St. Bernard on Monday and left
his office today after being named Jefferson Parish's incoming emergency
management director.

Landry, who ran unsuccessfully for sheriff in this fall's election, said
that in today's executive session the council asked him to assume the duty
of interim parish president. But he said he did not want that title because
if he ever served as parish president in the future, the charter's term
limits provision would allow him to serve only one term.

According to various councilmen and Peralta himself, the council could not
appoint Peralta to the parish president post early as the charter states "an
appointee filling a presidential vacancy shall be ineligible as a candidate
for that office in the subsequent election for that office."

The parish can operate without a parish president for 30 days before the
governor is required to appoint one, the charter states.

Landry said the current lack of a parish president and CAO is "an
unprecedented situation" and that the council is well within its state
constitutional rights to appoint him as parish administrator by exercising
its "police powers during a time deemed necessary."

After the council meeting Landry said he was "not going to execute any new
contracts," fire or hire anyone, and that he would ensure "that employees
are not disrupted and there is a smooth transition for the next
administration."

He also said, in addition to his own signature, that he would get parish
Finance Director Beverly Gariepy's signature on any administrative checks
issued until Peralta assumes control.

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