| Advisory Opinion request from Jeff Everson, as the potential Caddo Parish Commission Clerk, and his wife's employment with Robinson's Rescue non-profit organization. |
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Jeff Everson was selected as the potential Caddo Parish Commission Clerk on December 21, 2019. The position was publicly advertised and he was chosen by a vote of the board after interviewing along with several other candidates. He is not a member of the Commission.Mr. Everson has not started his employment at this time.
According to Caddo Parish Attorney Donna Frazier, the Commission is responsible for providing the budgetary amounts for the Parish. Once the amounts are set, the Parish Administrator is responsible for accepting applications. In the case of the animal services, the Parish Administrator puts out a request for applications. He then selects the potential providers. When the budget is presented for final approval, he attaches the specific providers as the recipients of the grants. At this time, the Commission has the opportunity to veto the selection of the recipient. According to Ms. Frazier, this has not happened to her knowledge. Once the budget is approved, the Parish Administrator is responsible for signing all contracts and ensuring that all objectives are met.
Prior to Mr. Everson's selection as clerk, the Commission approved its 2020 budget in a special meeting on December 3, 2019. This budget included a $40,000 grant to Robinson's Rescue, a nonprofit organization that provides spay and neuter vouchers for low-income citizens and spay and neuter education parish-wide. Mr. Everson's wife, Dr. Andrea Master Everson, is an employee of Robinson's Rescue, performing spay and neuter services, but does not have an ownership stake in the organization and is not a member of its leadership structure.
As Caddo Parish Commission clerk, Mr. Everson would have no part in deciding whether Robinson's Rescue or any other organization receives funding and his responsibilities would be administrative in nature, such as recording proceedings at which such decisions are made.
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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: (d) Neither performed for nor compensated by any person or from any officer, director, agent, or employee of such person, if such public servant knows or reasonably should know that such person has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant's agency; conducts operations or activities which are regulated by the public employee's agency; or has substantial economic interests which may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the public employee's official duty.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
David Bordelon |
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