Doug Postel out as parish administrator

The Lincoln Parish Police Jury is moving on from Doug Postel as its parish administrator.

Jurors voted 8- 4 Tuesday night to forego renewing Postel’s yearly contract, effectively firing him from the parish’s top position after two and a half years on the job. Assistant Parish Administrator Kevin Klepzig was appointed to fill the role in an interim capacity.

The lengthy and sometimes heated meeting was held in front of the largest and most outspoken crowd in recent memory as at least 150 people filled the Lincoln Parish Library Events Center.

When one of many attendees who gave public comments asked the crowd to stand if they supported Postel’s contract renewal, virtually everyone stood.

The administrator oversees all parish operations and its roughly 150 employees. The jury hired Postel in the summer of 2020 to replace longtime administrator Courtney Hall, who retired.

After more than 30 minutes of public comments, all of which were in support of Postel, jurors cast their votes to end Postel’s time at the helm without listing any grievances with his performance or giving any explanation for the decision.

“This jury wouldn’t eliminate the lowest paid employee on its payroll without first discussing those problems with him, and second, giving him an opportunity to correct those deficiencies,” Bill Jones, a local attorney and library board member, said during public comment. “That hasn’t been done with Doug. This police jury is not a private business. You’re not conducting your own business — you’re conducting our business.”

Those voting against Postel’s extension were: District 1’ s Theresa Wyatt, District 2’s Hazel Hunter, District 3’s Richard Durrett, District 8’s Skip Russell, District 9’s Joe Henderson, District 10’ s Milton Melton, District 11’ s Sharyon Mayfield and District 12’ s Annette Straughter.

Voting in favor of Postel were: District 4’s T.J. Cranford, District 5’s Logan Hunt, District 6’s Glenn Scriber, and Distict 7’s Matt Pullin.

Russell initially abstained from voting, but after the crowd jeered, he changed his vote to oppose the extension, to further chagrin from attendees.

No explanation

The Leader attempted to ask each “no” vote to elaborate on their concerns about Postel. Two declined to comment, three could not be reached, and three gave brief answers that cited no specific grievances.

Straughter said the jury extended Postel’s contract through 2022 because Postel told jurors he had items on the table he wanted to see through.

“During that time, he dropped the ball,” she said. “Doug is a great person, but the parish needs something different to move the business of the parish forward.”

Mayfield referenced Postel’s first public evaluation the jury performed in December of 2020, when she was one of a few jurors who criticized his performance.

“I had concerns then, and I have concerns now,” Mayfield said. “Little things building up that still do not seem to be resolved.”

She declined to elaborate.

Wyatt said she exercised her right as a juror to make her own choices and didn’t want to explain her concerns for Postel’s sake.

“I’m not willing to air out dirty laundry that might prohibit him from getting gainful employment,” she said.

Durrett and Melton, the newly reelected president and vice president, declined to comment. Russell, Hunter and Henderson could not be reached for comment — Russell’s phone lines appeared to be disconnected Wednesday.

The move to oust Postel came just months after Russell privately asked him to resign, saying a majority of jurors had “job performance issues” with him and were prepared to “make a change.”

The issue was not addressed at the next jury meeting, where a sizable crowd turned out to defend Postel.

“I find it hard to believe we’ve had all these people speak about Mr. Postel, but those of you who voted no, nobody has the courage to tell us why you voted no,” Lynne Gnemi said in a public comment after the vote Tuesday.

Support for Postel

The 14 people who spoke in favor of Postel’s extension before the vote included four parish employees, two library board members, the mayor of Choudrant and seven members of the community at large.

When highway department employee Tom Byrnside asked parish workers in the crowd to stand in support of Postel, roughly 20 did so.

“This has been a complete embarrassment for our parish,” local restaurant owner Chris “Moose” Garriga said after the vote. “I feel sorry for the workers who just stood up and backed their administrator, and you just slapped all of them in the face.”

Among those who showed support for Postel at the meeting were Sheriff Stephen Williams and Grambling Police Chief Tommy Clark, Jr.

“It is obvious that a majority of the Lincoln Parish police jurors do not care anything about the voice of their constituents or the people of Lincoln Parish,” Postel said after the meeting. “I was very touched by the outpouring of support on my behalf by both members of the community and by the employees who showed up as well.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve the people of this parish as their administrator. We’ve accomplished great things over the last two and a half years. It is my prayer that our wonderful employees will continue the great work that we started.”

Klepzig in

When a motion was made to appoint Klepzig to the interim role, he asked that the motion be amended to ensure his previous job would be available to him if a new administrator was hired.

When that didn’t happen, Klepzig initially said he denied the promotion, but soon after he said he would “act as parish administrator.”

Klepzig declined to comment on the appointment Wednesday.

Administrative Coordinator Devon Cannon pleaded with jurors in public comment to keep Postel, saying he is “progressive” which is a needed challenge for the jury, “where our motto is ‘meh, that’s how we’ve always done it.’”

“Doug has created a culture of highly engaged employees who hold themselves and each other accountable to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves, our office and our orgnaization,” she said. “Doug is absolutely what my parish needs right now.”

The four jurors who voted to keep Postel released a joint statement to the media Wednesday decrying the other members’ “irresponsible and wholly unjustified action.”

“The total lack of transparency and public accountability that is rampant in the police jury leadership is a disservice to the people of Lincoln Parish, many of whom clearly and powerfully voiced their concerns before the vote last nght, and is unacceptable from public servants,” Cranford, Hunt, Scriber and Pullin said. “Lincoln Parish is much better than this.”

Multiple commenters vowed to raise and support efforts to unseat jurors across the parish in the upcoming elections this fall.

At times the jury’s attorney Lewis Jones had to cut off commenters or ask the sheriff’s deputies on hand to restore order.

Durrett and Melton left the building alongside a law enforcement escort.

Postel left the building surrounded by employees and supporters, some of them in tears.

“I’m urging you to hear your public, hear your employees, and feel that weight tonight,” library Children’s Director Marcie Nelson said in public comment. “ I promise you, not renewing his contract — you’re going to feel the echo afterwards.”