CRIME REPORTS
December 2, 2015
Joy Boudreaux
December 2, 2015
The Lafourche Parish Council is exploring the legality of an ordinance in effect since 2009 that allows councilmembers and any parish president who has served 12 years to continue their health insurance benefits into retirement.
District 6 Councilman Lindel Toups is seeking continued coverage. He is being treated for Stage 4 liver cancer at an Atlanta hospital.
“I’m on my last term and I’ve got cancer and I need this insurance to go to Atlanta,” Toups said during the council’s Nov. 24 meeting.
Several parish agencies – the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Clerk of Court and District Attorney’s Office – continue to offer health insurance coverage after retiring. Continued health care benefits are a form of compensation.
Parish President Charlotte Randolph said a district attorney’s opinion presented in 2009 outlined legal problems with the parish ordinance. The council, however, never rescinded the ordinance.
District Attorney Cam Morvant said he wrote the document too long ago to remember what exactly the issue was, but said that the Parish Charter has explicit rules about compensation for the parish president and councilmembers.
Morvant is re-evaluating the law, but could not comment on the legality of the ordinance without first reviewing it.
Randolph said during the council meeting that the LPSO, District Attorney’s office and Clerk of Court were all part of the state’s retirement system, but that the council and president were removed from that system years ago.
If the council and parish president is allowed the option of continued health insurance coverage, the same offer must be made to all parish employees, according to Randolph.
Toups, who has served on the council for 12 years, was unseated last month by Corey Perrillioux by 78 votes. Perrilloux will be sworn into office in January.
Toups has been battling liver cancer since last year.
“I don’t know who would have to check on this. It’s legal. It’s in the ordinance,” Toups said. “But I want to know if I’m going to have insurance after this month.” •
Lafourche District 6 Councilman Lindel Toups is battling Stage 4 liver cancer and hopes to keep his health insurance benefits during retirement.
