Slidell Council Could Send Seven Charter Changes To Voters

June 9 Agenda Includes Ordinance To Call A Special Election On Proposed Home Rule Charter Amendments

The Slidell City Council’s June 9 agenda includes an ordinance that would propose amendments to the city’s Home Rule Charter and call a special election for voters to decide them. The agenda packet identifies that measure as Item No. 26-06-3647.

City records in the same agenda packet show the Charter Review Committee met May 19 and voted to advance seven proposed changes into ordinance form. The minutes say those items were expected to be introduced at the June 9 council meeting and then scheduled for a council vote on June 23 so they could be prepared in time for a December ballot.

Among the changes that can be confirmed from the publicly available minutes are a proposal to change the timeframe for when a special election would be required if the mayor’s office becomes vacant, a proposal updating charter language on Civil Service Board appointments, and a proposal clarifying debt issuance language in the charter. The May 19 minutes also show at least one other proposed change did not advance out of the committee.

The agenda summary does not spell out all seven proposed revisions in the indexed public text, but it does confirm the council is now at the step where it can formally place the package before voters if enough council members approve the ordinance process. A public hearing on newly introduced ordinances listed in the June 9 packet is set for July 14 in council chambers at 2045 Second Street.

Why This Matters In Slidell

Charter changes affect how city government works long after a single election cycle ends. In Slidell, that can mean rules on filling vacancies, who can serve in certain administrative roles, and how key city processes are spelled out in the charter itself. For residents, this is the stage when proposed changes move from committee discussion toward a citywide vote, making it an important point for public review and comment before anything reaches the ballot.