Opinion Number

Dear Mr. Rowley:

You requested an opinion from our office as to the legality of an ordinance by the St. Bernard Parish Council seeking to merge and consolidate the St. Bernard Port, Harbor and Terminal District (District) into the parish government.

According to the information you sent us, the St. Bernard Parish Council seeks to merge and consolidate into the parish government — i.e., to take over — the District by putting the question to a vote of the parish electors at a local referendum in the form of amending its "home rule charter" (apparently adopted pursuant to La. Const. (1974) art.…