St. Tammany Council Set To Consider Library Board Reappointment

Public Records Show Chuck Branton’s Current Term Ends June 1 As The Parish Council Weighs A New Vote

The St. Tammany Parish Council has scheduled an appointment item to fill one expiring seat on the Library Board of Control, according to the council agenda for its May 7 meeting. The agenda identifies the item as a parishwide appointment to a seat with a term expiring June 1, 2026. Public appointment records list that seat as currently held by Charles Branton.

Library records currently list Branton as president of the seven-member Library Board of Control. The library’s board page says the board includes six members appointed by the Parish Council and one by the parish president, who also serves as an ex officio member.

The council agenda does not identify a second nominee for the seat, and the public records reviewed for this story do not show whether another name had been formally placed in contention at the time of publication. Because of that, any claim about a delayed vote or a contested reappointment cannot be confirmed from the records available online.

What is clear from official records is that the library system has been in the middle of major leadership changes. In January, the Library Board of Control unanimously selected Trevor Collings as library director. The library said Collings was chosen during a Jan. 21 special meeting and started on Feb. 23.

The library’s meetings page also shows the board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for May 18 at the Slidell Branch on Robert Boulevard, making the council’s appointment decision relevant for library governance in Slidell and across the parish.

Why This Matters In Slidell

For Slidell residents, the vote matters because the St. Tammany Parish Library Board helps oversee system leadership, policy and long-range decisions affecting local branches, including the Slidell branch. With a regular board meeting already scheduled in Slidell later in May, the council’s appointment decision could shape who helps guide those discussions.

Sources

Vic Sage

Vic Sage is an investigative journalist from Slidell, Louisiana, known for reporting on local government, public records, corruption, and the everyday issues affecting St. Tammany Parish residents. His work focuses on clear, fact-based storytelling that holds officials accountable and gives local readers a deeper look at the decisions shaping their community.