The Secretary of State presented the Lafayette Consolidated Government with options to correct the technical errors in the charter amendment language to split the city and parish councils.

Ardoin told the council the problem with the voter approved amendment is that it leaves out a swath of voters in the middle of Lafayette. “The maps may have shown it but descriptions did not include them in the process so that’s why I stepped in,” Ardoin stated.
    
The options Ardoin presented to the council included going back to the voters in a special election in May but that requires meeting a March 11 deadline, get the legislature to call a special election in June or chose another option.

Mayor-President Joel Robideaux in statement says the council’s attorney confirms that its okay. The charter may be amended by ordinance. “I made it very clear.  The people spoke in December. This is not an effort to thwart anything that the people decided. We have to make sure we implement what the people decided,” Ardoin noted.

Council Chairman Jared Bellard in a statement says Ardoin intends to leave the final call in the hands of Lafayette officials. No matter the solution the correction should be completed by July 1st. “My only concern is that every voter has to be represented and right now that’s not the case,” Ardoin added.

In a news release, council members Kenneth Boudreaux, Jay Castille and Bruce Conque stated that “its clear the only reasonable path to correct the clerical errors in the voting precincts is an ordinance.”

The three council members state an ordinance will be introduced that clarifies boundaries in writing so that the precincts and district lines mat the City Council district maps that voters used when voting to approve the separation of the city and parish councils.