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Could an elected Vernon Parish police juror also serve on the Sabine River Authority?

Short answer The AG said yes because the authority's commissioner role was a part-time appointment. The dual officeholding ban he applied covered an elected local official's simultaneous full-time state appointment, not this part-time one.
State
Louisiana
Opinion
La. Atty. Gen. Op. 00-04
Issued
January 31, 2000
Issued by
Richard P. Ieyoub, Attorney General of Louisiana
Requested by
Ray Pynes, President of the Vernon Parish Police Jury
Source
View official page

Apply this to your situation

This page answers the general question as of 2000. Ask about yours and see what current Louisiana law means for your facts, with citations you can check.

Disclaimer: This is an official Louisiana Attorney General opinion. AG opinions are advisory and are not binding court precedent. This page is informational and is not legal advice.
About this page: The plain-English summary, reader guidance, and Q&A below were written by Ezel based on the official AG opinion. The original opinion (linked on this page as an official web page) is the authoritative source for any reliance.
View original AG opinion (official page)

Plain-English summary

Vernon Parish asked whether an elected police juror could also be appointed to the Sabine River Authority. The Attorney General said yes under the dual officeholding law as he understood it in 2000. The parish position was local elected office, and the authority was a state agency, but its commissioner post was understood to be part time.

The statute quoted in the opinion barred an elected official of a political subdivision from also holding another elective office or a full-time appointive office in state or local government. Because the proposed commissioner role was part time, the AG found that prohibition inapplicable.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 2000. Subsequent statutory amendments, court decisions, or later AG opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context, not current legal advice. Verify current law before relying on any specific rule, deadline, or remedy mentioned here.

Common questions

Could the police juror accept the authority appointment?
The AG said yes on the understanding that the authority commissioner post was part time.

Did the authority count as part of state government?
The opinion cited the statute designating the Sabine River Authority a state agency and instrumentality.

What distinction controlled the answer?
The AG focused on the statutory ban on a full-time appointive office held alongside the local elected office; he treated the proposed appointment as part time.

Background and statutory framework

The opinion classified Vernon Parish as a political subdivision and the Sabine River Authority as a state agency. It applied LSA-R.S. 42:63(D) to those roles and answered only the described part-time appointment.

Citations and references

  • LSA-R.S. 42:63(D)
  • LSA-R.S.38:2324(A)

Source

Original opinion text

January 31, 2000
OPINION NUMBER 00-04

Mr. Ray Pynes, President
Police Jury of Vernon Parish
OPINION NUMBER 00-04
78 - Officers - Dual Officeholding
Post Office Box 1548
LSA-R.S. 42:61 et seq., LSA-R.S. 42:63(9), LSA-R.S.
Leesville, Louisiana 71446 38:2324(A), LSA-R.S. 42:63(D) An elected police juror to Vernon Parish may simultaneously hold the part-time appointive position of commissioner to the
Dear Mr. Pynes: Sabine River Authority.

You have requested an Attorney General's opinion on whether an elected police juror for Vernon Parish may be appointed as a commissioner to the Sabine River Authority.

Under Louisiana's Dual Officeholding Laws, LSA-R.S. 42:61 et seq., a parish is a political subdivision of the state. LSA-R.S.42:63(9). LSA-R.S.38:2324(A) designates the Sabine River Authority as an agency and instrumentality of the state.

LSA-R.S. 42:63(D), in part, states, "[n]o person holding an elective office in a political subdivision of this state shall at the same time hold another elective office or full-time appointive office in the government of this state or in the government of a political subdivision thereof."

It is our understanding that commissioners to the Sabine River Authority hold part-time appointive offices. The position of police juror to Vernon Parish is an elected office to a political subdivision of the state.

Therefore, by application of the dual officeholding provisions cited above, an elected police juror to Vernon Parish may simultaneously hold the part-time appointive position of commissioner to the Sabine River Authority.

I trust this addresses your concerns. Please contact this office should you require further assistance.

Yours very truly,

RICHARD P. IEYOUB
ATTORNEY GENERAL

BY: ________
CARLOS M. FINALET, III
Assistant Attorney General

Page 2

SYLLABUS

OPINION NUMBER 00-04

78 - Officers - Dual Officeholding
LSA-R.S. 42:61 et seq., LSA-R.S. 42:63(9), LSA-R.S. 38:2324(A), LSA-R.S. 42:63(D)

An elected police juror to Vernon Parish may simultaneously hold the part-time appointive position of commissioner to the Sabine River Authority.

Mr. Ray Pynes, President
Police Jury of Vernon Parish
Post Office Box 1548
Leesville, Louisiana 71446

Date Received:
Date Released: January 31, 2000

CARLOS M. FINALET, III
ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL

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