| Advisory opinion request by Dave Johnson, town attorney for the Town of Basile, regarding whether Danielle Young can be elected to a Board of Alderman seat for the Town of Basile while she is employed as an associate by his law firm. |
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Dave Johnson is the owner of Johnson Law Office, and has been appointed the town attorney for the Town of Basile. This appointment occurs after each Board of Alderman election by the Mayor of Basile and is subject to approval of the majority of the Board of Aldermen. He is compensated as per a resolution by the Board of Aldermen which would be ratified by the new Board.
Ms. Young is employed by Mr. Johnson's law office, and is a salaried employee who also receives bonuses based upon hours worked per month. This hourly work has previously included some Town of Basile work; however, Mr. Johnson would not allow her to perform any work on these files if she is elected to the Town of Basile's Board of Aldermen. Subsequent to this request, Mr. Johnson stated that Ms. Young is no longer interested in running for the Board of Aldermen seat but may be interested in the future.
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La. R.S. 42:1111C(2)(d) provides that no public servant and no legal entity in which the public servant exercises control or owns an interest in excess of twenty-five percent, shall receive any thing of economic value for or in consideration of services rendered, or to be rendered, to or for any person during his public service unless such services are neither performed for nor compensated by any person who has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant's agency.
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Adopt the proposed opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Brett Robinson |
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