By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
PEARL RIVER – Voters in the Town of Pearl River, given the option for the first time ever to decide on term limits for their elected officials, approved the measure by an overwhelming margin in Tuesday voting.
The Board of Aldermen in Pearl River put the term limits item on the ballot for the Tuesday election and voters in the town approved the measure with 84 percent voting in favor.
A total of 973 voters in Pearl River said “yes” to the term limits question, with only 183 voters saying “no.”
After the town went through political turmoil in the past year with longtime Mayor James Lavigne ousted after a political scandal that included him being indicted and convicted of using town money for personal use, the new Board of Aldermen approved this year the idea of term limits for public officials.
The measure offered two terms maximum for the mayor, police chief and board of aldermen.
Current public officials can now have two terms, with the measure going into effect in 2019 for any incoming public officials.