Lafourche Parish president vetoed council's decision to increase coroner's pay

The Lafourche Parish president vetoed an ordinance intended to increase the coroner's pay in what has become a proverbial arm-wrestling competition.

The Lafourche Parish Council passed a narrow vote to increase Coroner John King's pay March 28, with only five votes of the nine possible votes. Both King and the Lafourche Parish Government are under investigation by the Louisiana State Police for money King was paid that he potentially shouldn't have been. The amount began at $75,000 but has fluctuated after the original findings.

The investigation has not risen to the level of criminal, but still could once the findings are handed over to the Lafourche Parish District Attorney's Office for review. According to Louisiana State Police Public Information Officer Ryan Gossen, detectives expect to hand over their findings next week.

According to Parish Council Chairman Armand Autin, the ordinance was meant to clear up the confusion within the laws and set a path for payments going forward. It was not, he said, intended to retroactively affect anything to do with payments, and therefore not affect the investigation.

Autin said he did this to ensure the coroner's office would continue to run. When the administration ceased payments, King's Attorney William "Chuck" Credo threatened to send all autopsies away to Parish Forensics in Lafayette at a price of $3,750 per autopsy.

Parish President Archie Chaisson cited three main reasons for vetoing the ordinance: he preferred a salary-based method of payment; there are concerns with the state law's guidelines; and concern about passing anything until the State Police investigation has concluded.

More: Here's a look at Golden Meadow's inaugural Boulettes and Balloons festival

"The ordinance was needed to correct the actual salary of the coroner; however, as I noted in the meeting, I believe the fee portion of the ordinance is unnecessary and opens the parish up to additional expenses that may not be needed," Chaisson said in the veto. "Also the ordinance as written allows the coroner to collect multiple fees, not just autopsy fees… which could significantly increase the budget for the coroner's office."

The money in question arises out of layers of complicated laws surrounding how coroners in Louisiana are paid. State laws create the position with guidelines around pay, but ultimately allow the governing body of the area, in this case the Parish Council, to determine how the coroner is paid within those guidelines.

The original ordinance dictating how the Lafourche Parish Coroner was paid gave him a $25,000 salary and $250 in fees per autopsy. In 2011, the Parish Council of the time removed the fee portion of the payments and in a separate ordinance increased King's salary to $50,000.

Part of Autin's ordinance, he said, was meant to clear up the confusion between the two ordinances stating different amounts regarding King's salary, and also to reinstate the fee portion of how he was to be paid.

King continued to send in invoices, increase his price in fees, and continued to be paid through to October of last year. These payments ceased when Chaisson said his administration noticed that King should not have been receiving fees at all. The price increases rose and were paid up to $400, raising questions about a state law which limits the amount to $300.

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Lafourche Parish president vetoed decision to increase coroner's pay