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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> ,,o^pF 1,0(7'• DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> -ct LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> uu I� • <br /> t P.O. BOX 4368 <br /> uill.,, <br /> ' i <br /> BATON ROUGE, LA 70821 <br /> °°"ate"6�,,, (225)219-5600 <br /> •••���"'O <br /> FAX (225)381-7271 <br /> une 24, 2019 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.la.gov <br /> Mayor Marc McCarty <br /> Town of Wisner <br /> P.O. Box 290 <br /> Wisner, LA 71378 <br /> Re: Board Docket No. 2019-492 <br /> Dear Mayor McCarty: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its June 21, 2019 meeting, considered your request for <br /> approval of a disqualification plan submitted regarding Casey Beach serving as a volunteer part- <br /> time patrolman for the Town of Wisner while her husband, Billy Beach, serves as the elected <br /> Chief of Police for the Town of Wisner. <br /> FACTS PROVIDED <br /> You stated that William "Billy" Beach was sworn in as the elected Chief of Police for the Town <br /> of Wisner in January 2019. Chief Beach's wife, Casey Beach, served as a volunteer Auxiliary <br /> Officer beginning on February 20, 2015. Casey Beach was promoted to a part-time patrolman for <br /> the Town of Wisner at the February 2019 town council meeting so that she can volunteer her <br /> time as the Training Coordinator for the Police Department. Casey Beach will work strictly as a <br /> volunteer and will not be paid as either a patrolman or as Training Coordinator. You would like <br /> to affirm that Chief Beach will have no supervision over Casey Beach and her direct orders will <br /> come from you as Mayor of the Town of Wisner. <br /> LAW <br /> La. R.S. 42:1112B(1) provides that no public servant shall participate in a transaction involving <br /> his governmental entity in which any member of his immediate family has a substantial <br /> economic interest. La. R.S. 42:1102(21) provides that "substantial economic interest" means an <br /> economic interest which is of greater benefit to the public servant or other person than to a <br /> general class or group of persons. La. R.S. 42:1112C provides that every public employee, <br /> excluding an appointed member of any board or commission, shall disqualify himself from <br /> participating in a transaction involving the governmental entity when a violation of this Part <br /> would result. The procedures for such disqualification shall be established by regulations issued <br /> pursuant to R.S. 42:1134(A)(1). <br /> CONCLUSION <br /> The Board concluded, and instructed me to inform you, that the disqualification plan submitted <br /> based on La. R.S. 42:1112C is not required because Chief Beach is an elected official and not a <br /> public employee. However, if a transaction in which Casey Beach has a substantial economic <br /> interest arises, Chief Beach should submit a request for an advisory opinion regarding the <br /> specific situation before taking any action. <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />