Maurice is a town!

MAURICE — Mayor Wayne Theriot struck his gavel against the sound block Wednesday night.
In doing so, the village of Maurice became the town of Maurice.
During Wednesday’s monthly meeting, the Board of Aldermen approved an ordinance to reclassify Maurice as a town.
“It’s a historic ordinance,” Theriot said proudly. “We are officially now the town of Maurice.”
Last month, the board accepted a proclamation from Gov. John Bel Edwards to reclassify Maurice as a town. That move was necessary because Maurice had not yet received official certification from the 2020 U.S. Census.
However, unofficial data released last year showed Maurice with a population of 2,118, more than enough to be considered a town. In ‘10, Maurice missed becoming a town, when it had a population of 964. More than 1,000 is considered a town, with a population of 5,000 or more is considered a city.
Alderwoman Phyllis Johnson made the motion to adopt Wednesday’s ordinance. Alderman Warren Rost provided a second.
“Can I third?,” Alderman Jonathan Schlicher jokingly asked.
Maurice’s Board of Aldermen will now grow from three to five members. Two new members will be appointed before next month’s meeting, which is scheduled for May 18. Theriot said a special meeting would likely be called to discuss the appointments.
There are currently four candidates who have submitted their names for consideration. They are Troy Catalon, Megan Landry Lalande, Neil Arsement and Matthew Trahan. Theriot said anyone interested in a possible appointment to the board could submit their names by either going to Maurice City Hall, located at 405 Lastie Ave., or by emailing Theriot at villageofmaurice.mayor@cox-internet.com(link sends e-mail). All submissions must be made in writing.
Maurice will hold its regularly scheduled elections in November. Qualifying will take place July 20-22.
Maurice has grown rapidly for several years, so its ability to qualify as a town is no surprise. That growth has shown not only in population but commercially. Theriot said Maurice’s sales tax collection his past February totaled $96,493.57, an increase of 63% compared to February of ‘21.
“Some of that is from the construction of homes in subdivisions,” Theriot said. “If you extract that number, which is about $15,000, it still leaves us with a very healthy level. Our businesses are prospering because our citizens, including new ones, are spending money in the village.”
Yes, Theriot referred to Maurice as a village, even after the ordinance’s passing. Theriot said he does not want Maurice ever to lose its village appeal. After all, Maurice spent its first 110 years as a village.
“We want to keep the village identity,” Theriot said. “It means a close, family-oriented community.
“We don’t want to lose that identity, but we will be called the town of Maurice from this day forward.”