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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> 01";!OrA DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> < . is• <br /> arlali 1;11 LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> P.0.BOX 4368 <br /> BATON ROUGE, LA 70821 <br /> \ 0„, (225)219-5600 <br /> FAX:(225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics la gov <br /> April 24, 2018 <br /> Ms. Sandi T. Burley <br /> Secretary of Concordia Parish Police Jury <br /> 4001 Carter Street <br /> Vidalia, Louisiana 71373 <br /> Re: Ethics Board Docket No. 2018-208 <br /> Dear Ms. Burley: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its April 20, 2018 meeting, considered your request for <br /> an advisory opinion regarding whether the Code of Governmental Ethics would prohibit <br /> Concordia Parish Section 8 housing program from being overseen by Lasalle Community Action <br /> Association, Inc. (LCAA) while two of the Concordia Parish Police Jurors are associated with <br /> LCAA. Juror Willie Dunbar serves as a Vice-President of LCAA and Juror Joseph Parker was an <br /> employee of LCAA. You stated that Juror Dunbar is not compensated for his service on the <br /> LCAA board and that Juror Parker retired from LCAA on April 13th of this year. Prior to his <br /> retirement Juror Parker was a salaried employee who did not work on any Section 8 housing <br /> issues for LCAA. <br /> The LCAA is a non-profit organization that administers federal and state funded <br /> programs to help low income people become more self-sufficient through utility assistance, <br /> nutritional assistance, housing assistance,job placement and preschool program. LCAA services <br /> several parishes. The non-profit administers programs for those facing poverty and low income <br /> families in Caldwell, Catahoula, East Carroll, Concordia, Grant, Jackson, Franklin, West Carroll, <br /> Madison, Ouachita, Richland, Tensas, Winn and LaSalle parishes. <br /> The Board concluded, and instructed me to advise you, that generally La. R.S. <br /> 42:1112B(3) prohibits a public servant from participating in a governmental transaction in <br /> which any person of which he is an officer, director, trustee, partner, or employee has a <br /> substantial economic interest. However, it appears that the exception found in La. R.S. <br /> 42:1123(1) would allow for Juror Dunbar to participate in transactions regarding the LCAA <br /> since the LCAA is a public service organization and he receives no compensation. La. R.S. <br /> 42:1123(1) allows for participation in the affairs of charitable, religious, nonprofit education, <br /> public service, or civic organizations when no compensation is received. However, the Board <br /> cautions Juror Dunbar if the circumstances ever changed and he was to be compensated by the <br /> LCAA for his service on the Board please request a new advisory opinion prior to accepting the <br /> compensation. <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />