A proposition that would have raised the salary of future St. Mary Parish Presidents was rejected by voters on Saturday. 60% of voters, or 1,747 said no while 40%, or 1,160 voted yes. If passed, it would have been the first pay increase since the president’s salary was set at $12,000 per year when the charter was passed in 1983. In an interview with KQKI News on Wednesday, St. Mary Parish President David Hanagriff, who is not able to seek re-election due to term limits, said the proposition was put on the ballot to adjust the salary for inflation with hopes of being able to attract more candidates to run for the position.
In the special election to the fill the unexpired term of former St. Mary Parish School Board – District 4 member Pearl Rack, Democrat Debra Jones defeated Mark Romero by 96 votes. Jones received 56% to Romero’s 44% of the vote, or 419 – 323.