Sheriff Brett Stassi has concerns about Gov. Landry's proposed constitutional convention

Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi said he has mixed feelings about Gov. Jeff Landry’s proposal for a constitutional convention later this spring.

Some of the concerns involve the time frame Landry wants, along with which amendments would remain intact and which ones lawmakers should strike down.

Stassi’s address to the Plaquemine Rotary Club at its meeting April 25 focused largely on the constitutional convention, as well as the state of the sheriff’s office since he began his first term July 1, 2012, when he succeeded Brent Allain, who retired after three terms in office.

Much of Stassi’s concern centers around the amount of time Landry wants to allot delegates to discuss and approve changes to the state’s 270-page constitution.

Landry wants to allow only a two-week time frame for lawmakers to abbreviate and amend the state constitution.

The last convention was held in 1972, not long after Edwin Edwards began his first term as governor.

“Jessel Ourso (who reigned as Iberville Parish sheriff at the time) was one of the delegates, and the people who served in that convention were elected by the people to do that job,” Stassi said. “It took two years to complete what they wanted to do.”

Landry’s anticipated outcome of the convention could have a huge impact on all 64 parishes.

It comes down to money, the sheriff said.

“I’m a Jeff Landry supporter, but at the same time, he wants all of the money on the table, and he wants access to all the pockets of money,” Stassi said.

The state supplemental pay for deputies is protected in the constitution.

“Not every department can afford to forsake supplemental pay,” he said.

The inventory tax has been a major catalyst for the fiscal sustainability for public offices.

Revenue from inventory taxes accounts for $18 million for the parish – $3.8 million of that money goes to the sheriff’s office.

In 2023, the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office collected $115 million, a figure that represents a big spike from the $63 million in tax collections when Stassi first took office.

It marked the second consecutive year the parish reported record totals for revenue collection, fueled largely by the inventory taxes – and Iberville could possibly surpass that figure in 2024.

The collections for last year yielded $2.3 million for the Assessor’s Fund, $3.3 million for the Atchafalaya Basin, $4.4 million for the Iberville Parish Library system, $5.5 million for drainage, $1.1 million for the Pontchartrain Levee Board, $3.3 million for public building maintenance and $3.3 for parks and recreation.

The surge in industrial development across Iberville Parish – and the expiration of industrial tax exemptions – have played a part in the increased revenue.

“It’s all because of the industries we have herein Iberville Parish, and it continues to grow,” Stassi said. “We’re doing good in the tax business, but we have to make sure we continue to be good citizens.”

Iberville Parish deputies take that approach to the distance, according to Stassi.

Some buy their own impact wrenches for their units to help change tires for motorists in need along Interstate 10.

They also keep gas cans with them to provide fuel to motorists who drive their vehicle to the empty mark on the freeway.

“Some drivers think they can go seven miles when they only have three miles worth of gas in their tanks, and I’ve never been able to understand why they think they can do that,” Stassi said.

Fewer than 3,200 sheriffs serve across the United States. Sixty-four of them are in Louisiana.

In other states, a sheriff mainly serves papers, according to Stassi.

“Louisiana sheriffs are the envy of all sheriffs across America,” he said. “We stand alone because we’re elected by the citizens, and we have our own tax base.

“I’m responsible to be a good steward of our tax money,” Stassi said. “And, if I get in trouble and we go broke, some of that could be personally on me.”

Stassi remembers the days when it was not protected.

“We used to have to go on our knees and beg for the state pay,” he said. “Sometimes they’d cut it and other times we just wouldn’t get it.”

Money for K-12 education and the state inventory tax have also been protected, and Landry wants those items open for debate, as well, the sheriff said.

“When you open that Pandora’s Box, a lot of things can get out,” Stassi said.

At the same time Landry wants to make it easier to change the constitution now, he also wants to make it harder to change it back, Stassi said.

“We have him for three more years – maybe seven,” he said. “I know the governor is trying to placate the donors to his campaign, but it’s still up to the House and Senate to approve going into the convention.

“The Senate is not all convinced that this is the way to go,” Stassi said. “On the other hand, the amendments are very complicated.”