What is Consolidated Government?
On Nov. 3, 1992, voters in Lafayette Parish approved the proposition to merge the Parish of Lafayette and the City of Lafayette into one unified government. The proposed Home Rule Charter for the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government was prepared and submitted by the Lafayette City-Parish Charter Commission in accordance with the provisions of Article VI, Section 5 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, setting forth the unified plan of government for the Parish of Lafayette and the City of Lafayette be adopted.
The plan of government provided by the Home Rule Charter is known as the "President-Council" form of government. It consists of an elected Council, which is called the Lafayette City-Parish Council, and constitutes the Legislative Branch of the government and an elected President, who is the Chief Executive Officer and the Head of the Executive Branch.
The governmental functions of the City of Lafayette now are consolidated with the governmental functions of Lafayette Parish. The formal name of the new government is the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government. The City of Lafayette continues to exist as a legal entity and, except as provided in the charter, exercises all powers granted by general state law and the state constitution for municipalities of the same population class.
The City-Parish Council is the governing authority of the City of Lafayette for purposes of levying property taxes, for providing municipal-type services, and for purposes of annexation. The City-Parish Consolidated government also is authorized, as provided by state law, to enter into joint service agreements or cooperative efforts with other governmental agencies and political subdivisions.
The Home Rule Charter is not applicable to the municipalities in Lafayette Parish, other than the City of Lafayette, except as the Charter relates to functions and responsibilities of the parish. Municipalities in the parish that are not a part of the City-Parish Government may become a part of the Consolidated Government in the following manner:
- An ordinance approved by the president and governing body of the municipality shall be submitted to the City-Parish Council requesting the Council to call an election relative to incorporating the municipality into the City-Parish Government.
- The City-Parish Council shall submit the proposal to the voters of the affected.
- The consolidation shall become effective only if approved by a majority of electors voting there or in the area of Lafayette Parish outside the municipality proposing to become a part of the consolidated government and approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon in the affected municipality.
If the voters approve the consolidation, the City-Parish council will, by ordinance, provide for the orderly transition of the municipality into the Consolidated Government within six months after the election, except that no term of office of any of the elected officials in the affected municipality will be shortened.
The affected municipality will have the same rights and privileges of a municipality as are provided in the Home Rule Charter for the City of Lafayette.
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