Harlan Kirgan
St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard had vacated the public works and airport director jobs.
“I don’t want to wait on anything,” he said in explaining the move.
The St. Landry Parish Council voted Bellard in as parish president in August. A special election will be held in March for the seat.
Losing their jobs in the move were Russell Schexnayder as public works director and David Allen as airport director.
Bellard focused on the public works department.
“I’m going to assume that role so I can get a better understanding of what it takes over there,” he said.
Bellard said he is giving a two-week window on things getting done and if a job is not done, he will ask for explanation.
“I’m not asking for the world. I’m just asking to go grade a road, put material on a road, go dig a ditch, go cut some grass. The machines have no business being on the yard. They should be working somewhere in the parish every single day,” he said.
“We can’t continue the way we were going,” he added.
The public works director job was paid $62,400 a year and he said he plans to convert that into two additional employees
Bellard said the airport director was paid $53,000 and wasn’t a bad guy, but he wants to see fuel sales grow from about $100,000 to $300,000, which was what sales were in 2014.
Bellard is filling the seat left vacant by Bill Fontenot, who resigned citing health reasons.
Bellard had served as administrative officer under Fontenot and with Don Menard for a total of ten and half years.