PORT ALLEN, LA (WAFB) -
Many people attending a meeting in Port Allen Council meeting Wednesday night wanted to
know if "most experienced" or "who you know" is needed to
get a job in the city and some called the mayor a "racist" after a
recent hire.
There were
plenty of fireworks in the meeting, much of it because of the hiring of former
Port Allen Police Chief Adrian Genre. He was convicted of perjury in a racial
discrimination case. Now, people are calling Mayor Roger Bergeron a
"racist" due to the appointment of Genre.
"Our white
mayor is a racist!" said one protestor.
Outside
city hall, a group with signs begged for fairness and experience over personal
preferences. Inside the council meeting, there were more harsh words for Bergeron.
"You a
racist!" said another protestor.
Back in
2001, Genre was convicted of perjury and served six months for lying in a
racial discrimination case while he was the police chief. Eleven years later, Bergeron
appointed Genre as the city's chief administrative officer.
"You
have a convicted felon as the chief administrative officer of Port Allen, you're
okay with that?" Bergeron was asked.
"As I
stated before, Mr. Genre made a serious mistake 12 years ago," Bergeron
answered. "He's paid for that mistake. There's nothing in his history
prior to that incident or since that incident that indicates that he would not
do a good job."
Cenceria
Dalcourt said she served as the city's assistant chief administrative officer
for the past two years.
"I was
hired as the assistant to train for the CAO position," said Dalcourt.
She claims
in the end, the mayor hired for the position based on the color of her skin,
not her experience.
"What
was Adrian doing before he was hired for this position?"
"He
managed his own restaurant and deli," responded Bergeron.
"So,
who had more experience for the position?"
"Well,
it depends what you mean on experience. Mr. Genre was the chief of police for
six or seven years, so he knows how a government entity works," said Bergeron.
Inside the
council meeting, there was standing room only as many people wanted to ask why
the mayor and council chose a convicted felon over others to be Port Allen's
second in command. Some were allowed to speak.
"It's
not just about the council members that are sitting on the board," said
one woman. "It's truly about the citizens is what it should be about."
But then,
things heated up.
"City
of Port Allen don't follow rules anyways," said Dalcourt.
When NAACP
representative Reginald DeVold approached the podium the council shot him down,
ending the meeting.
"We
feel it's just not right," said DeVold. "Everything leading up to the
situation, it was all planned out."
Genre
declined an interview, saying the mayor talks on issues dealing with the city.
Copyright
2012 WAFB. All rights reserved.
Port Allen Mayor Roger Bergeron
