| Advisory opinion request regarding whether the Code of Governmental Ethics prohibits an employee of the City of Ponchatoula from serving as Chairman of the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival Board. |
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Bailey Barker Taillon was elected as Chairman of the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival Board ("the Festival Board") in 2025, and she is scheduled to take office in 2026. The Strawberry Festival is a non-profit 501(c)(3), and Board members are uncompensated.
At the time of her election, Ms. Taillon was employed in a position unrelated to the City of Ponchatoula. Since the time of her election, she has accepted and begun employment as Executive Assistant to the Mayor of Ponchatoula.
Because of the scale of the Strawberry Festival, the Festival Board works closely with the City of Ponchatoula on matters such as law enforcement, security, sanitation, street closures, and vendor coordination, and citizens are concerned that these contemporaneous roles may create a conflict of interest in violation of the Code.
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Donald Lanier, elected Public Works Director of the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival Board ("the Board"), submitted this request for advisory opinion in his capacity as such. However, it was not submitted on motion of the Board nor with the entire Board's knowledge, and Ms. Taillon is unaware the request has been filed.
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Section 601 of the Rules for the Board of Ethics provides that the Board will only render advisory opinions to "affected persons." "Affected person" is defined in the Board's Rules as "any person or governmental agency, or the authorized representative of such person or agency with a demonstrable and objective interest in the Board's interpretation, construction, and application of any law within the Board's jurisdiction."
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Decline to render advisory opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Kelsey Simmons |
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