By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish Director of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Mike Tregre, who has expressed his intentions to run for sheriff in the fall, may soon have to decide whether a run for the office is worth losing his job over.

According to an opinion secured from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, Tregre is not eligible to be an active candidate in any partisan political election while he is director of emergency preparedness. Any such activity would be in violation of the Hatch Act, a law that involves prohibiting individuals employed by state, county or municipal agencies that manage federal funds from campaigning for public office.

St. John District Attorney Tom Daley, who had requested the opinion last month, said OSC Hatch Act Unit attorneys in Washington, D.C., got back with him Monday afternoon.

In researching the complaint, the Hatch Act Unit learned the parish receives funds from an Emergency Management Performance Grant from FEMA.

The grant is intended to enhance local government’s ability to sustain and enhance hazardous management capabilities. A portion of that grant is used to fund the salary of the emergency preparedness director.

“Because you implement emergency preparedness procedures that are funded through a federal grant via salary reimbursements, we have concluded that you have duties in connection with federally funded activities and are covered by the provisions of the Hatch Act,” wrote agency attorney Amanda Horner in a March 17 letter to Tregre. “The St. John the Baptist Parish Registrar of Voters has confirmed that the election for sheriff is partisan. Because the election is partisan, the act prohibits you from being a candidate while you are employed as director.”

The legality issue concerns Tregre’s public assertion to parish leaders that he plans to run for sheriff, as well as a campaign website — miketregre.com — that was live for at least one day expressing Tregre’s intent to run this fall. The website was quickly taken down.

Tregre said in a statement he believes he is not the first person to be employed by St. John Parish and run for political office at the same time but said the Hatch Act Unit advised him that they do not “police” the country for violators.

“They simply investigate complaints filed,” Tregre said. “I am just the lucky recipient of the first ever complaint filed from St. John.”

As director of emergency preparedness, a job he has held for just over a month, Tregre coordinates the parish’s response to man-made or natural disasters. His role includes maintaining a relationship with state and federal authorities to ensure implementation of disaster plans. Many of Tregre’s duties also involve management of federal funds awarded to the parish.

Parish President Natalie Robottom also said that about one-third of Tregre’s $70,000 annual salary comes from federal funding.

Robottom, who supported Daley in asking for the Hatch Act opinion, has said her main concern is making sure the parish does not lose any federal funding from a possible Hatch Act violation. She has said the parish could be at risk to lose as much as 2 1/2 times Tregre’s salary. Robottom would not comment further on the matter.

Tregre said he would not do anything to jeopardize federal funding to St. John Parish but said he could not say any more about the issue.

“I have to be careful,” Tregre said. “The opinion is very thorough.”

Tregre took the job in Robottom’s administration after a two-year stint as investigator and spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office. Prior to that position, Tregre spent nearly 25 years working in several positions within the St. John Sheriff’s Office. Tregre has remained at his position while the matter was being resolved but in a limited capacity. Some functions of the department are now being handled by Assistant Director Kathy Gilmore.

The OSC opinion indicated Tregre has done nothing to formally violate the Hatch Act. The agency determined Tregre is not a formal candidate in the election and added that the website was only uploaded for testing purposes and not fully functioning.

The opinion also said Tregre is not allowed to have others campaign or raise money on his behalf while he is still employed with the parish, and any further activity by him as a potential candidate for sheriff could be construed as a violation.