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LAPLACE — Tom Malik resigned from his post as St. John the Baptist Parish Councilman District VII at close of business June 12, 2023, according to a letter obtained by L’OBSERVATEUR.

In a letter addressed to Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin on June 8, Malik stated that he is moving out of the district he represents.

An amended Parish Council agenda for the 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 13 meeting in LaPlace includes the appointment of Tanya Faucheux as Councilwoman District VII. Faucheux serves as the coordinator of instructional/educational technology for St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools.

According to the St. John the Baptist Parish Home Rule Charter, vacancies on the Parish Council shall be filled within 30 days by a majority vote of the remaining members of the council. In the event the Parish Council fails to fill the vacancy in this timeframe, the parish president shall fill the vacancy.

Special elections are called to fill vacancies when there is more than one year remaining in the unexpired term. Since Parish Council elections are slated for this fall, with the current term ending on December 31, a special election is not necessary. The appointed representative will remain on the Parish Council until the person elected to fill the vacancy assumes office in January 2024.

Tom Malik joined the St. John Parish Council in 2017 after defeating Steven Fraker in a spring election. The District VII seat had been in flux since fall 2015, when incumbent Cheryl Millet termed out and announced she would be seeking a different seat on the Council. Buddy Boe won the fall election to fill the vacancy but served only six months before resigning to work for the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. Raj Pannu was appointed to serve in the interim until Malik was elected. Malik ran unopposed for the District VII seat in Fall 2019.

Malik was not immediately available for comment at the time of this report.