Livingston Parish President: Powers, Term, Salary, and Ethics

The Livingston Parish President is the elected chief executive of parish government, running the executive branch under a Home Rule Charter that splits power between the President and the Parish Council. The current officeholder is Randy Delatte. The job carries hiring and firing authority over parish departments, budget-drafting duties, contract-signing power, a veto, and emergency authority during disasters.

What the Parish President Does

Section 3-09 of the charter makes the President the chief executive officer and gives the office general executive and administrative authority over all parish departments, offices, and agencies.¹ That means supervising department heads, directing daily operations, and setting administrative priorities across public works, planning, finance, and the rest of parish government. The President appoints and removes department heads, subject to any council confirmations the charter requires.

On the money side, the President prepares the annual operating budget and a five-year capital improvement program, then submits both to the Council for review and approval. The President is also the authorized signatory for all contracts, deeds, and legal instruments that bind the parish, so public works agreements and service contracts move through the executive’s desk after state procurement rules are followed.

The President attends Council meetings and can take part in discussions but cannot vote on legislation. Outside parish lines, the President is the primary liaison to state and federal agencies.

Emergency Authority

Under state law, the Parish President can declare a local state of emergency. The declaration lasts up to 30 days and can be extended by the President, but any continuous emergency lasting more than 90 days must be approved by the parish governing authority. A majority of the surviving members of the governing authority can terminate the emergency at any time.²

Veto Power and the Council’s Override

Every ordinance the Council passes must be presented to the President within three days, excluding holidays. The President then has 10 days to return it, either signed or vetoed, and a veto has to come with a written statement of reasons.¹

The Council has 15 days from the day the vetoed ordinance comes back to override it, and the override takes a two-thirds vote of the Council’s authorized membership.¹ That high threshold gives the veto real weight.

Who Can Run

Section 3-03 of the charter sets the eligibility rules. A candidate must be at least 18, a qualified voter of the parish at the time of filing, and must have been legally domiciled and actually living in the parish for at least one year before the qualifying deadline.¹

Residency is not a one-time requirement. The President must continue living and keeping a legal domicile inside the parish for the entire term. Moving out of the parish during the term automatically vacates the office.¹

Qualifying Fees

Getting on the ballot takes a $225 qualifying fee plus a $25 campaign sign recycling fee. Candidates who run as Democrats or Republicans also owe a $112.50 state central committee fee, and the parish executive committee can add another $112.50. Fees can be combined into a single payment to the Louisiana Department of State, by cash, certified check, cashier’s check, or money order.³

A candidate who prefers not to pay can qualify instead by filing a nominating petition with at least 400 signatures from voters eligible to vote in the race. Active-duty military members stationed or deployed outside the United States are exempt from all qualifying fees.⁴

Term Length and Term Limits

The President is elected at-large on the same four-year cycle as Louisiana’s gubernatorial races. Section 3-02 of the charter caps service at three consecutive four-year terms, a limit that took effect with terms beginning January 14, 2020.¹ Because the cap is on consecutive terms, a former President who sits out a full term is not permanently barred from running again.

Salary

The charter sets the base salary at $50,100 per year. At the start of each new term, the salary is recalculated as the average of the two highest salaries among the Livingston Parish Sheriff, Assessor, and Clerk of Court. The salary cannot be changed during a sitting President’s term.¹

Ethics Rules While in Office

Section 3-10 of the charter bars the Parish President from holding any other public office or parish employment during the term, with narrow exceptions for military officers and notaries public. The President also cannot hold any paid position with the parish government or with any person, firm, or corporation that has a contract with the parish or its departments.¹

Section 7-02 of the charter puts all parish officers and employees under the Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics, which covers financial disclosure, abuse of office, nepotism, and recusal from votes where a conflict exists. The food-and-drink limit for public servants starts at $50 per event and is adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index.⁵

Vacancy and Recall

A vacancy opens when the President dies, resigns, is removed through recall, or forfeits the office by moving out of the parish. If less than one year remains in the term, the Council appoints an interim president to finish it. If more than one year is left, the Council has to call a special election so voters pick the permanent successor.¹

Section 6-02 provides for recall of any elected parish official, following the general laws of the state. If a majority of those voting in the recall election vote to remove the President, the removal is immediate and the vacancy is filled the same way. A recalled President cannot be appointed to fill the vacancy the recall created.¹

1
Livingston Parish Council. Livingston Parish Home Rule Charter
2
Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes 29:727
3
Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes 18:464
4
Louisiana Secretary of State. Fees/Nominating Petitions to Qualify for Office
5
Secretary of State of Louisiana. Code of Governmental Ethics