MONROE, La. (KTVE/KARD) — On August 14, 2025, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R-La.) wrote a letter to the Mayor of Monroe, La., Friday Ellis, advising that he is placing his appointment authority under Act 452 on temporary hold for the next 30 days, urging Ellis and the Monroe City Council to “engage in open and constructive dialogue with the goal of identifying and confirming a highly-qualified candidate for the fire chief position of the Monroe Fire Department.” According to Landry, the governor may appoint a qualified candidate from the certified competitive employment list if a vacancy for a fire chief or chief of police in a municipality that continues for more than 12 consecutive months and the local governing authority has not confirmed an appointment proposed by the mayor; however, he believes that local collaboration is preferred for this situation.

If the 30-day period ends without a mutual resolution or confirmed appointment, Landry confirmed that he will exercise the authority granted by Act 452 to ensure public safety and municipal continuity are maintained.

I remain confidant that, through collaboration and focused attention, Monroe can fill this critical role without recourse to state intervention.
Gov. Jeff Landy, (R-La.)