Abbeville citizens want city council to vote to rehire Jerry Smith as parks director

There has never been an outcry from Abbeville citizens like there is now to try and get a former city employee’s job back after the employee was terminated. A group of citizens will be asking the Abbeville City Council on Tuesday to vote to rehire Jerry Smith - the former Abbeville parks and recreation director.
Smith had been the parks and recreation director in Abbeville for six months. Last week the city council, and Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza gave Smith a six-month review. The reviews were positive in executive session. Everyone, including the mayor, was expecting the city council to vote 5-0 to keep Smith based on his evaluations. But, to everyone’s surprise, three councilmen, Francis Plaisance, Wayne Landry and Joe Hardy voted to terminate Smith. It was a 3-2 vote.
Upset parents, who had children playing in Abbeville, met at the Abbeville library Friday to find out what is going to happen to the youth programs that Smith began. They also wanted to know if there was going to be youth baseball or track in Abbeville.
After a two-hour discussion of throwing out ideas, the citizens are now going to push to have the five councilmen take a re-vote at Tuesday’s council meeting to rehire Smith.
Someone representing the group of parents will ask either councilman Francis Touchet or councilman Brady Broussard, the two councilmen who voted to keep Smith, to bring it up again for a vote at the Tuesday’s council meeting.
This same group, led by Rev. Michael Wright, will try and meet with Landry to see if he would vote to re-hire Smith.
Someone asked Smith, who was at the library. “Will you accept the job if they vote to rehire you?”
Smith kept it simple. He said he would not go back if Katie Richard Luquette remains his assistant. The city council would have to transfer her or fire her, Smith told the crowd, for him to go back.
Smith said in the six months he had been there, he has complained to Piazza that his assistant was not suited for the job. Piazza did not comment on Luquette because she is employed with the city. The city council did give her a three-day suspension last week then turned around and let go Smith.
Smith also added he would not accept the job for what he was being paid, $40,000, a year. He said he would ask for more money.
“I would come back, but I am not going to come back under the current circumstances,” Smith said. “I came to Abbeville because I want to make a difference. These councilmen made their decision and I am not sure what their reasons were.”
Residents and Smith are hoping they will get those answers at Tuesday’s city council meeting.