Vermilion Parish Police Jury calls meeting to oppose Island bill

The Vermilion Parish Police Jury is expected to join the fight in stopping House Bill 334.
Today at 6 p.m. in the Vermilion Parish Courthouse on the second floor, the police jury has called a special meeting to adopt a resolution stating that the police jury is not in favor of House Bill 334.
House Bill 334, written by local Rep. Ryan Bourriaque, aims to incorporate four pockets of land in the Abbeville City limits but not considered in the city. There are around 200 residents who live in those pockets, known as “Islands.”
Those who live in the islands are under the jurisdiction of the Vermilion Parish Police Jury.
A petition has been circulating by the residents who live in the islands. They do not want to be annexed into the city of Abbeville and have called on their local police juror.
They called police juror Scott Broussard for help, and he has taken on the challenge of trying to kill House Bill 334. Broussard called for the special meeting to get the police jury on board to pull House Bill 334.
“They do not want to be annexed into the city,” said Broussard. “I am not sure the city’s objective for wanting to do this. Maybe it is to get the tax dollars. They are taking away the rights of the citizens. There is not one person in favor of being incorporated into the city.
“Our state rep (Bourriaque) has taken the bill and moved forward without consulting the people or the police jury,” Broussard added.
Suppose the police jury adopts the resolution saying it is not in favor of House Bill 334, in that case, the resolution will be emailed to Baton Rouge and presented to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs before a vote is taken. The game-plan is to kill the bill in committee, Broussard said.
Broussard said he is pleasantly surprised by the fight the citizens in his district are taking against the city of Abbeville. Some are expected to attend tonight’s special police jury meeting.
“I am excited by their energy,” said Broussard.
This all started a few months ago when an advertising company from Lafayette placed a large digital sign on an island near the River Front Restaurant.
City officials were caught off guard by the sign placement and later found out the reason they did not know anything about it is because the digital sign was placed on a patch of land, not in the city limits.