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VIDALIA, La. — Louisiana Representative of District 21 C. Travis Johnson, D-Ferriday, is on the agenda to address the Concordia Parish Police Jury tonight during its regularly scheduled meeting.

Johnson last addressed the Police Jury with a proposal to explore a new government type called a “Home Rule Charter” that includes a parish president being the head of government for the parish.

Resolution No. 9, which was authored by Johnson, stated that the Concordia Parish Police Jury would appoint a committee to conduct a feasibility study regarding the establishment of a Home Rule Charter form of government.

Twenty-six of the state’s 64 parishes operate with a form of Home Rule Charter, an option offered to local governments when Louisiana adopted its new constitution in 1974.

When the resolution was put to the vote during the Aug. 26 meeting, all police jurors voted no, so the resolution to study the new form of government did not pass. As the police jury recently consolidated voting districts last November because of Concordia Parish’s shrinking population, Police Jury President Collin Edwards said after the August meeting, “Now isn’t the time” to look at a new parish government.

“I’m not for it or against it but I do think it would open eyes to take a look at it to see if it’s more efficient than what we’ve currently got,” Johnson said Monday. “We currently have got a lot of problems within the parish, roads and drainage, and I’m not seeing a lot being done about it and think it’s time to look at how do we govern this. I passed a resolution through the legislature urging them to do a feasibility study. I’m hoping they’ll show they’re ready to do something.”

Johnson said if the Police Jury chooses not to “show real effort,” he would act with Legislators this session to “pass legislation with teeth so they will have to move forward” and study this possibility of a parish president system.

Other agenda items for the Monday, Sept. 9, meeting of the Concordia Parish Police Jury include:

• A presentation by Cassandra Lynch, who leads the Vidalia Beautification Committee and champions efforts to restore the old Concordia Parish courthouse owned by the parish police jury.
• A discussion of approving advertising of a public hearing to adopt an ordinance to authorize an act of sale by Concordia Parish to sell certain adjudicated properties by public auction.
• A discussion of authorizing Bryant Hammett & Associates to prepare and submit capital outlay requests on behalf of the police jury.
• A discussion of adopting a resolution for the 2025-2026 Capital Outlay Request.
• A discussion of any ordinance violations.
• A discussion of any work orders and approval of the Road Superintendent’s materials and work requests.
• A discussion of new business, if any.