Bogalusa Mayor Wendy Perrette has chosen to veto an ordinance passed during the Bogalusa City Council’s Tuesday, Dec. 18, meeting.

During that meeting, the Bogalusa City Council voted to add three amendments to Ordinance No. 2578, which was on the agenda as “An ordinance to amend and re-enact Chapter 13 of the Bogalusa City Code Parks and Recreation to provide Rules for the Parks and Recreation Commission and Rules and Regulations for the use of the Park and Enforcement by the Director of Parks and Recreation.” The amendments were not originally on the agenda, and a vote was taken to add them during the Dec. 18 meeting.

Two of the amendments passed by a 5-1 vote, and the third failed by a 3-3 vote.

The first passed amendment would allow council members to “make two recommendations to the mayor from all districts” for the commission, and the second passed amendment would make the commission “act as an advisory capacity to the city council, mayor and parks and recreation.”

Perrette told The Daily News that she vetoed the amended ordinance.

Perrette expressed why she took this action, in letters that she sent on Friday, Dec. 21, to council members through council secretary Brenda Ford. In a letter addressing the first amendment, Perrette wrote:

“I have vetoed Ordinance No. 2578 which was passed December 18, 2018. This is a written statement for the reasons for veto:

“At the same Council meeting, the Council passed Ordinance 2578 which was submitted by the Administration to revamp the Parks & Recreation part of the City Code. The Council passed this Ordinance and then voted to amend the agenda to consider Ordinance No. 2578.

“This Ordinance provides that each Council District can provide two recommendations for Park Commissioners. This Ordinance is not needed since anyone can submit a recommendation to the Mayor for appointment. It is also confusing since it does not explain what the Mayor can do with the recommendations after they are made.”

In a letter addressing the second amendment, she wrote:

“…Ordinance 2578 provides that the Parks & Recreation Commission is to advise the Mayor and Council. It is not clear what this means in relation to Ordinance 2578. It is also not clear what the Council’s role would be once it receives this advice.

“It may give the Council some administrative authority which the Charter does not provide. The Mayor is the Chief Administrative Officer as to all parts of the city with limited exceptions which are not pertinent here. This ordinance is not needed in so far the Park Commission’s duties are concerned.”

Perrette said that she believed that her veto was the first one that has been used since the Mack McGehee administration.

“It’s probably been close to 20 years since a mayor of Bogalusa has needed to veto anything,” she told The Daily News.