Council Fails To Appoint Port Allen Interim Mayor

PORT ALLEN, La. (AP) — The Port Allen City Council agreed on the majority of its agenda items Wednesday, but avoided discussing the contentious issue of who should temporarily run city government in the wake of former Mayor Demetric Slaughter's recall.

Slaughter left office Nov. 25, and the council is under a 20-day deadline to appoint an interim mayor for Port Allen.

Mayor Pro Tem Ray Helen Lawrence has been serving as acting mayor pending the appointment of an interim. In that position, she does not hold the full powers of the mayor.

Should the council allow the 20-day deadline to lapse, state law passes the decision on naming an interim mayor to the governor.