Louisiana § RS 33:342 - Change in classification of municipality; governor's proclamation; census not conclusive; judicial notice

§ RS 33:342. Change in classification of municipality; governor's proclamation; census not conclusive; judicial notice

A.(1)  Whenever a census taken by resolution of the board of aldermen of any municipality or a certified report from the federal Census Bureau shows that its population has increased or decreased so as to take the municipality out of its present municipal class, the board of aldermen shall adopt a resolution requesting the governor to change the classification of the municipality.  The results of any census taken by resolution of the board of aldermen shall have been certified by the person authorized to take the census.

(2)  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section and the provisions of R.S. 33:341, the governing authority of a municipality may elect not to change the classification of the municipality when a census shows that its population has increased by fewer than two hundred persons since the last decennial census, but such increase would change the municipality's classification from village to town.  If the governing authority, by resolution, elects to retain its classification and not change the classification as otherwise required, the mayor shall transmit a copy of the resolution to the governor and to the secretary of state for recordation.  Laws applicable to municipalities based upon their population shall be applicable to a municipality that elects not to change its classification as authorized in this Paragraph based upon its population and not its classification.

B.  The mayor of the municipality shall transmit the resolution to the governor.  The governor shall investigate the facts; in such investigation, the governor shall not be bound by the census submitted and, if he believes the findings are inaccurate, he may ascertain the facts in any manner he deems appropriate.  If the governor finds that the municipality is wrongly classified, he shall issue a proclamation correctly classifying the municipality, and such proclamation shall be transmitted to the mayor of the municipality.

C.  Upon receipt of the proclamation, the board of aldermen of the municipality shall adopt an ordinance changing the name of the municipality to reflect its new classification.  A copy of the proclamation and the ordinance shall be transmitted to the secretary of state for recordation.

D.  The courts shall take judicial notice of the class to which each municipality belongs.

Amended by Acts 1954, No. 46, §1; Acts 1986, No. 1076, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1987; Acts 2011, No. 260, §1.