The Kenner City Council is the legislative branch of government for Kenner, Louisiana. Seven elected members pass the ordinances and resolutions that govern the city, approve its annual budget, and decide land-use questions that shape neighborhoods and businesses. The council meets twice a month at Heritage Hall and is the place where residents can speak on record about city decisions.
Who Serves on the Council
The council has seven seats. Five members each represent a geographic district, and two at-large members represent the entire city, designated Division A and Division B.1City of Kenner. City Council
As of 2026, the members are:
- Kristi K. McKinney, At-Large, Division A (Council President)
- Thomas P. “Tom” Willmott, At-Large, Division B
- Dee Dunn, District One
- Ronald R. “Ronnie” Scharwath, District Two
- Joseph F. “Joey” LaHatte III, District Three
- George L. Branigan, District Four
- Brian Brennan, District Five
Members serve four-year terms that run on the same cycle as the mayor’s, and they must remain residents of the area they represent for the entire time they hold office. Candidates must be qualified voters of Kenner and must have lived in their district, or in the city for at-large seats, for at least one year before the election. A member is limited to two consecutive full terms in the seat to which they were elected, though a partial term filled by appointment does not count against that limit.1City of Kenner. City Council
What the Council Can Do
The council enacts all ordinances and resolutions governing Kenner.1City of Kenner. City Council That reach includes traffic rules, noise standards, contracts, and zoning changes that can reclassify property from residential to commercial or the reverse.
New ordinances follow a two-step path. A proposal gets a first reading at one meeting and comes back for final adoption at the next available meeting. Zoning and land-use proposals go first to the city’s Planning Commission, which issues a recommendation of approval, approval with modifications, or denial before the council votes.2City of Kenner. City of Kenner Street Name Change Application A majority of the council must agree to pass any measure.
The council also reviews and approves the city’s annual operating and capital budgets, which fund municipal services, infrastructure, and public safety. Dedicated budget meetings are held each fiscal year before final appropriations are voted on.1City of Kenner. City Council
When and Where Meetings Happen
Regular meetings are held at Heritage Hall, 303 Williams Boulevard, Kenner, LA 70062, on the first Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. and the third Friday of each month at 11:00 a.m. If a meeting falls on a holiday, the Council President reschedules it with majority consent. The council office can be reached at 504-468-7254.1City of Kenner. City Council
Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law requires written notice of every meeting at least 24 hours in advance, excluding weekends and holidays. The notice must include the agenda, each item has to be described with reasonable specificity, and the agenda cannot be changed inside that 24-hour window. The notice must also appear on the city’s website during that same period.3FindLaw. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 42 Section 19
Agendas are prepared by the Clerk of the Council at noon two days before the meeting and posted through the city’s Agenda Center online.4City of Kenner. Agenda Center Checking the agenda ahead of time is the simplest way to catch anything coming up that affects your property, business, or street.
How to Speak at a Meeting
You must sign in before the meeting to speak. Speakers are called in sign-in order, and each person gets three minutes. You cannot yield your time to someone else, and the council cannot deny anyone the right to speak. Extending a speaker’s time requires a majority vote of the members present.5City of Kenner. City of Kenner Office of the Council Rules
During a declared emergency, public comment is limited to items on that meeting’s agenda, and the Council President may further restrict speaking time. Elected officials addressing the council do not need to sign in and may speak from their seat.5City of Kenner. City of Kenner Office of the Council Rules
When the Council Can Meet Privately
Louisiana law allows the council to close part of a meeting in limited situations: discussions about an individual’s character or professional competence, strategy sessions on pending or threatened litigation, security planning, and investigations into alleged misconduct. Extraordinary emergencies such as natural disasters or civil disturbances also qualify.6Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 42 Section 17
Two limits matter if you are the subject or an interested resident. A person whose character or competence will be discussed must receive written notice at least 24 hours before the meeting and can require the discussion to happen in open session. The council cannot use executive session to appoint someone to a public body or to award a public contract.6Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 42 Section 17
Getting Public Records
Louisiana’s Public Records Act gives you the right to inspect and copy almost any document created or used in the conduct of city business, including correspondence, financial accounts, electronic data, and recordings.7Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 44 Section 1 Requests go to the Clerk of Council’s office. Small per-page fees for physical copies are common, but viewing records in person generally carries no charge.
Removing a Member Before the Term Ends
A council member can be removed before their term expires through a recall election. A petition chairman files a copy of the recall petition with the Secretary of State and then collects signatures from registered voters within the member’s district, or across the city for at-large seats. The signature threshold scales with the size of the electorate:8Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes Recall Election
- Fewer than 1,000 voters: at least 40% must sign
- 1,000 to 24,999 voters: at least 33⅓% must sign
- 25,000 to 99,999 voters: at least 25% must sign
- 100,000 or more voters: at least 20% must sign
Petitioners have 180 days from the filing date to collect signatures and submit them to the registrar of voters, shortened to 90 days in areas with fewer than 1,000 voters. The chairman must also notify the targeted official by certified mail at least three days before submitting the petition.8Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes Recall Election The thresholds are steep, and municipal recalls remain rare in practice.