Village of Maurice moving closer to becoming town after proclamation from Gov. Edwards

MAURICE — There has been no secret that the village of Maurice would eventually become a town.
Unofficial data from the 2020 U.S. Census showed Maurice with a population of 2,118, more than enough to climb the classification ladder. However, a process that figured to be finalized a year ago remained ongoing.
On Monday, with help from Gov. John Bel Edwards, Maurice officials took a big step to push past the waiting stage. Edwards issued a proclamation to classify Maurice as a town. The Maurice Board of Aldermen voted to accept Edwards’ proclamation during a special meeting.
The board also introduced an ordinance to classify Maurice as a town that will be presented at the next regular meeting on April 13. A public hearing will be held at the start of that meeting.
“We will adopt it if everyone sees fit,” Mayor Wayne Theriot said.
There is now a sense of relief, as it took much longer than anyone ever expected. The COVID-19 pandemic factored heavily into the delay of the Census.
“It has been a very nerve-racking process to get the certified Census,” Theriot said. “We tried to go in the direction we were supposed to go. We couldn’t get a definitive answer. We reached out to various people. We want to thank the governor for issuing the proclamation to reclassify us.
“I hoped this all would have been done a year ago, but now we can move forward.”
Part of moving forward in becoming a town is the board of aldermen reflecting that growth. Two people will be appointed to increase the board from three to five. Theriot said there are currently four candidates, two of whom will likely be appointed at the April meeting. The candidates who have submitted their names for consideration are Troy Catalon, Megan Landry Lalande, Neil Arsement and Matthew Trahan.
“I am extremely happy that we have received that kind of interest,” Theriot said. “If anyone else has any interest and cares to, they can submit their names.”
Those can be submitted by either going to Maurice City Hall, located at 405 Lastie Ave., or by emailing Theriot at villageofmaurice.mayor@cox-internet.com.
“We ask that it be done in writing,” Theriot said.
Maurice will hold its regular election in November. This week’s move helps ensure that the qualifying period in July will be for five candidates for the board of aldermen. Had things continued to stall, Maurice likely would have been forced to have a special qualifying and election for the two additional board members.
“This will take care of the timeline for qualifying,” Theriot said.
Maurice may now qualify as a town, but Theriot said he hopes that Maurice residents continue to cherish the qualities of a village.
“Even though we do become the town of Maurice,” Theriot said, “we still want to embrace the identity of a village. It means certain things to people. It means a close-knit, family-oriented community.
“We want people to continue to see us as a village, but officially, we do have to move into a town.”