Grand Coteau Town Hall is where town officials tell us that Mayor Virginia Pierre has officially resigned. That resignation will go into effect Friday July 31st at 5 pm. The Mayor’s personal assistant and secretary have also resigned, effective Monday.

Jack Franciol lives in Grand Coteau. He says he thinks Pierre owes the town an explanation for her sudden resignation. The resignation comes after a 2014 state audit revealed that Pierre unlawfully loaned $800 of the town’s money to a help a town employee pay his utility bill earlier this year. Franciol says he’s not sure if Pierre’s resignation has anything to do with the audit, but he wants answers. “It could be, it could not be. She needs to come out and let the public know what’s going on.”

Mayor Pro Temp and council member Brandon Miller says Pierre’s personal assistant and secretary have also resigned. The personal assistant resigned after her salary was cut by $12,000. Miller says the lower pay was due to budget cuts. The town was also forced to let three of its employees go.

Town resident Mary Williams says she won’t jump to conclusions about the mayor’s decision. “Everybody’s not perfect, you know. She did what she could do and if that’s her decision then I respect that. I wish she could have stayed a little longer and filled out her term.”

Mayor Pierre’s resignation letter cites personnel issues as her reason for leaving. She says certain members of the council have refused to work with her. Miller says there’s been quite a few issues between Pierre and the council since the audit’s findings. Which he says may have caused the mayor to hit her tipping point. “We do need a Mayor. They can put one in until we can have an election, a special election.