The St. Tammany Parish Council said it will wait until their regular meeting in March before they decide whether or not to support a hypothetical proposal to give control of the coroner’s office money to the parish government.Many council members, like District 12 councilman Jerry Binder, say the wait is necessary because they feel the emergency meeting scheduled for Wednesday was too short of notice and they want to give time for more public input.“I think having more people here to turn in speaker cards and give their views, not trying to decide what their views will be — just willing to hear them — would have been a positive thing,” Binder said.It’s worth noting the parish council cannot make the move itself. It would require a vote in the state legislature to move control of the money.One of the members of St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper’s administration says that the proposal would come from at least two members of the state legislature if the council votes to support it.“Multiple other ways that they can take money out of the coroner’s office so that it is not going to what it is dedicated for. It is dedicated 100% for the benefit of the people through the coroner’s office. Any diversion, I think, is just a tragedy,” said St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Charles Preston.Preston is only slated to serve a few more weeks in the office before retiring.Preston also brought up the coroner-elect, Christopher Tape, suggesting this move may be an attempt to try and diminish his power over the office before he even gets there.There have been multiple calls for Tape’s resignation from officials in recent weeks in light of early 2000s allegations that he sexually abused a minor in New Mexico. While Preston agrees Tape should resign, he doesn’t think this is the way to do it.“There are legal appropriate methods to remedy somebody who is not fit for duty. This is not one of them,” said Preston.Only one council member mentioned Tape on Wednesday night. They denied the allegation, saying the move was only about responsible government. St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper did not comment on the decision Wednesday night.
The St. Tammany Parish Council said it will wait until their regular meeting in March before they decide whether or not to support a hypothetical proposal to give control of the coroner’s office money to the parish government.
Many council members, like District 12 councilman Jerry Binder, say the wait is necessary because they feel the emergency meeting scheduled for Wednesday was too short of notice and they want to give time for more public input.
“I think having more people here to turn in speaker cards and give their views, not trying to decide what their views will be — just willing to hear them — would have been a positive thing,” Binder said.
It’s worth noting the parish council cannot make the move itself. It would require a vote in the state legislature to move control of the money.
One of the members of St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper’s administration says that the proposal would come from at least two members of the state legislature if the council votes to support it.
“Multiple other ways that they can take money out of the coroner’s office so that it is not going to what it is dedicated for. It is dedicated 100% for the benefit of the people through the coroner’s office. Any diversion, I think, is just a tragedy,” said St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Charles Preston.
Preston is only slated to serve a few more weeks in the office before retiring.
Preston also brought up the coroner-elect, Christopher Tape, suggesting this move may be an attempt to try and diminish his power over the office before he even gets there.
There have been multiple calls for Tape’s resignation from officials in recent weeks in light of early 2000s allegations that he sexually abused a minor in New Mexico. While Preston agrees Tape should resign, he doesn’t think this is the way to do it.
“There are legal appropriate methods to remedy somebody who is not fit for duty. This is not one of them,” said Preston.
Only one council member mentioned Tape on Wednesday night. They denied the allegation, saying the move was only about responsible government.
St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper did not comment on the decision Wednesday night.