MONROE, La. — What was supposed to be a full night of city business ended almost as soon as it began Tuesday.
Three Monroe City Council members voted to pass over the entire agenda and adjourn. Councilwoman Gretchen Ezernack opposed the move, while Councilman Doug Harvey was absent.
The decision left alcohol permits, property matters, budget amendments and other city business unresolved.
The meeting ended amid an escalating dispute between Mayor Friday Ellis and the council majority over Monroe’s fire chief.
However, the fight extends beyond who gets the job. Local control and the authority of Monroe’s elected government are also at the center of the disagreement.
Louisiana lawmakers passed Act 452 in 2025. The law allows the governor to appoint a fire or police chief under specific circumstances.
The authority applies when a qualifying vacancy exceeds 12 months and the local governing authority has not confirmed an appointment. (Louisiana State Legislature)
Gov. Jeff Landry used that authority to reappoint Timothy Williams as Monroe fire chief on September 16. Williams is scheduled to begin October 1. (City of Monroe, Louisiana)
Council Chairman Verbon Muhammad and other council members have challenged the law and appointment process.
The Monroe Free Press previously reported that the council voted 3-2 to challenge Act 452 in court. The council argued the law improperly allows the governor to bypass Monroe’s local governing authority. (Monroe Free Press)
That position puts local control versus state authority at the heart of the dispute.
Ellis takes a different position. His administration maintains the governor acted within authority granted by state law. (City of Monroe, Louisiana)
After Tuesday’s meeting, Ellis accused the council majority of allowing that dispute to interfere with unrelated city business.
“They didn’t debate. They didn’t vote. They didn’t consider a single item,” Ellis wrote on Facebook.
Ellis argued residents, businesses and organizations waiting for council decisions ultimately felt the impact.
Muhammad has framed the broader dispute differently. He says it involves respect, transparency, communication and the council’s role in city decisions.
The disagreement now reaches beyond the fire chief appointment.
It has become a fight over who controls key decisions at City Hall and how far state government can reach into Monroe’s local government.
Meanwhile, city business unrelated to the fire chief remains unfinished.
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