§537. Removal of commissioners

A.(1) A commissioner of a local housing authority may be removed for neglect of duty, misconduct in office, or conviction of any felony.

(2) A commissioner of a local housing authority in any municipality or parish may be removed on any such grounds by the chief elected official of the municipality or parish appointing the commissioner, or if no chief elected official exists, then by the governing body thereof.

(3) A commissioner of a local housing authority in the parish of St. John the Baptist may be removed on any such grounds by the governing body of the parish appointing the commissioner.

(4) A commissioner of a regional or consolidated housing authority may be removed on any such grounds by the governing body of the municipality or parish that originally appointed the commissioner.

(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a commissioner of a local housing authority in any parish with a population of not more than forty-six thousand five hundred persons and not less than forty-five thousand five hundred persons based on the latest federal decennial census may be removed on any such grounds by the chief elected official appointing the commissioner.

(6) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the landlord commissioner appointed pursuant to R.S. 40:531(B) may be removed by the appointing authority for neglect of duty or misconduct in office. A landlord commissioner convicted of a felony while serving as a commissioner shall be disqualified and removed from office by the appointing authority.

B.(1) The chief elected official or the governing body of the municipality or parish, as the case may be, which seeks to remove a commissioner shall send a notice of removal to such commissioner, which notice shall set forth the charges against the commissioner. Unless, within ten days from the receipt of such notice, such commissioner files with the clerk or secretary of the municipality's or parish's governing body a request for a hearing before the governing body, the commissioner shall be deemed removed from office. If a request for hearing is so filed, the governing body of the municipality or parish, as the case may be, shall hold a hearing, not sooner than ten days subsequent to the date a hearing is requested, at which the commissioner shall have the right to appear in person or by counsel and the governing body shall determine whether the removal shall be upheld. If the removal is not upheld by the governing body, the commissioner shall continue to hold office.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the appointing authority seeking to remove a commissioner pursuant to Paragraph (A)(6) of this Section shall send a notice of removal to such commissioner, which notice shall set forth the charges against the commissioner. Unless such commissioner files with the appointing authority a request for a hearing before the appointing authority within ten days after receipt of such notice, the commissioner is deemed removed from office. If a request for hearing is so filed, the appointing authority shall hold a hearing no earlier than ten days after the filing of the request for a hearing at which hearing the commissioner has the right to appear in person or by counsel and the appointing authority shall determine whether the removal is to be upheld. If the removal is not upheld by the appointing authority, the commissioner shall continue to hold office.

Acts 1997, No. 1188, §1; Acts 2003, No. 923, §1; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 12, §1, eff. June 12, 2011; Acts 2013, No. 333, §1, eff. June 17, 2013; Acts 2014, No. 791, §14; Acts 2015, No. 419, §1.