Saint Martinville, LA — Following a discussion at Monday’s Saint Martinville City Council meeting, residents will soon have the opportunity to decide on a significant change to the city’s governance structure, which has remained largely unchanged for over a century.
Since 1898, Saint Martinville has been governed by a special legislative charter approved by the Louisiana Legislature. This charter has vested authority in both the mayor and the city council, but recent tensions between the two governing bodies have raised questions about its effectiveness. Mayor Jason Willis, who addressed the council during the meeting, pointed to growing conflicts and confusion over the division of authority, which he argued has led to inefficiency and hindered progress.
“We started getting into a lot of conflicts and not agreeing on anything, and what that does is it doesn’t do anything and it hurts the people of Saint Martinville,” Willis said, acknowledging that the lack of clarity between the mayor’s and council’s roles has contributed to a lack of cooperation.
Local government consultant Karen White provided further context, explaining that Saint Martinville is one of only 24 municipalities in Louisiana operating under a legislative charter. White noted that the city’s current structure doesn’t follow the typical separation of powers model used by federal and state governments, where executive and legislative responsibilities are clearly defined. Instead, the Saint Martinville charter places a disproportionate amount of executive power within the legislative branch, which has created a governance model that lacks balance.
“Although no system is perfect, having a separation of powers model makes for the most effective form of government,” White stated, supporting the idea of a restructured system.
At the city council meeting, members voted in favor of allowing residents to decide whether to retain the current charter or adopt a new governance system based on the Lawrason Act. Under the Lawrason Act, the mayor would gain clearer authority over the hiring process of government employees, and the roles of the council members would be more clearly delineated.
Mayor Willis voiced his support for the change, emphasizing that the Lawrason Act would provide a more defined structure, with clear boundaries between the mayor’s and the council’s duties. “The Lawrason Act shows the mayor what his duties are, the council what their duties are, and if you end up crossing into somebody’s lane, you can say, ‘Hold up, that’s my lane,’” he explained.
The Lawrason Act’s separation of powers approach, according to Willis, would reduce confusion and improve the efficiency of local governance by giving each branch of government a clear set of responsibilities.
Residents of Saint Martinville will have the chance to weigh in on this proposal during a vote set for May 3. The outcome of the vote could lead to a major shift in the city’s structure, shaping the future of how the local government operates for years to come.
As the date for the referendum approaches, local leaders and citizens alike will be watching closely to see whether the shift toward a clearer separation of powers will be embraced by the community.