By BEN LUNDIN

Staff Reporter

EDGARD – A mix-up with council members’ voting lights at the most recent council meeting led to a conflict between St. John Parish’s newest insurance writing agent and Councilman Allen St. Pierre that should have never taken place.

A motion to usher in John Millet failed 5-3, but appeared to some council members and residents to fail in a tie of 4-4 because of the council’s temporary seating arrangement that was inconsistent with the lights that members use to indicate their vote.

St. Pierre, who voted for John Millet, pursued legal action following the meeting because Councilwoman Cheryl Millet voted against family member John Millet, an action that St. Pierre believed to be a conflict of interest. Had the vote in fact ended in a 4-4 tie with Cheryl Millet’s vote voided, John Millet would have been elected as the new insurance writing agent rather than Natalie Tatje. The council voted Tatje in with a 7-1 vote following the decision on John Millet.

Councilman Steve Lee noted following the voting that if a motion ends in a tie it will fail, which led the way for the council to vote in Tatje. The meetings’ minutes show that Councilman Lester Rainey Jr. had intended to vote against John Millet and his vote was changed at the end of the chaotic discussion, but went unnoticed by numerous council members and residents at the meeting.

&#8220If the vote did come out 5-3 then it’s a dead issue. I’m not going to pursue it any further,” St. Pierre said.

&#8220Even if Cheryl would have abstained it would not have made a difference,” Councilwoman Jacyln Hotard said.

The confusion arose because the usual council chair Lester Rainey Jr. needed to vacate the meeting early and Hotard took his place for the evening. Rainey and Hotard’s lights were therefore switched and during the vote for John Millet, Hotard initially left Rainey’s light switched on as &#8220in favor.”

The meeting was held in the Edgard Courthouse, a facility used for council meetings only once every two months. Council meetings are typically held every two weeks in the Percy Hebert building in LaPlace.