Provides for an appointed chief of police in the town of Fordoche

HB 867 amends the Revised Statutes by adding R.S. 33:381(C)(38) to establish a specific exception for the town of Fordoche regarding its chief of police position. The legislation changes the office from an elected position filled by at-large election to an appointive position filled by mayoral appointment subject to approval by majority vote of the board of aldermen. The bill provides that the transition from elected to appointed status shall occur only upon expiration of the current elected chief's term, unless the office becomes vacant or is temporarily filled as of the effective date. The appointee's term runs concurrently with that of the mayor and aldermen, and the board of aldermen upon mayoral recommendation must establish the chief's salary and establish by ordinance the chief's duties, qualifications, and responsibilities, with the chief reporting directly to the mayor.

The practical effect of this legislation is that the town of Fordoche's governance structure for police leadership shifts from democratic election to executive appointment. The current elected chief of police, if in office when the law takes effect, retains their position through the end of their term, but the next chief and all subsequent chiefs will be appointed rather than elected. Town residents will no longer have direct voting authority over the selection of the police chief, though the board of aldermen retains a check on mayoral power through its approval requirement. The board of aldermen gains substantive authority to shape the position through ordinance by defining the chief's qualifications, responsibilities, and salary parameters, while the mayor gains appointment authority.

This legislation operates within the framework of the Lawrason Act, which establishes the standard mayor-board of aldermen form of municipal government applicable to most Louisiana municipalities and typically requires election of the police chief at large. Existing law in R.S. 33:381(C) already provides mechanisms for certain municipalities to shift from elected to appointed police chiefs through voter approval via referendum or through mayoral appointment in smaller municipalities, but those provisions require either a referendum process triggered by citizen petition or specific population thresholds. HB 867 bypasses these general procedures and creates a direct statutory exception for Fordoche alone, using the state legislature's authority to enact special legislation governing individual municipalities. The transition provision respects the incumbency of any chief in office at the time of enactment, ensuring that the shift occurs through the natural expiration of the current term rather than through immediate removal or forced transition.