State Civil Service Commission v. Audubon Park Commission

99 So. 2d 920, 1958 La. App. LEXIS 473
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 6, 1958
DocketNo. 21101
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 99 So. 2d 920 (State Civil Service Commission v. Audubon Park Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Civil Service Commission v. Audubon Park Commission, 99 So. 2d 920, 1958 La. App. LEXIS 473 (La. Ct. App. 1958).

Opinion

JANVIER, Judge.

This mandamus proceeding was brought by the State Civil Service Commission of Louisiana in an effort to compel the Audubon Park Commission and the members thereof to comply with the regulations and rules of the Civil Service Commission of the State of Louisiana rather than with the regulations and rules of the City Civil Service Commission of the City of New Orleans with which the said association has been complying.

The City of New Orleans intervened and joined with the Audubon Park Commission in its effort to prevent the issuance of the writ of mandamus.

The matter is now before us on appeal by the State Civil Service Commission from a judgment of the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans denying the writ of mandamus.

In written reasons for judgment the Judge of the Civil District Court clearly set forth the issues, and, since we are in accord with the reasons given by him, we now set them forth as follows:

[922]*922“Petitioners bring this rule to show cause why a writ of mandamus should not issue against the Audubon Park Commission and its commissioners, alleging that it is the duty of the Audubon Park Commission and its commissioners to comply with the provisions of Article XIV, Section 15, of the Constitution [LSA] and the rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission thereunder.
“The petition relates that the Audubon Park Commission was created by Act 191 of 1914 and that under said act the commissioners were authorized to employ agents and employees as such be required.
“The petition alleges that the Civil Service Amendment places in the ‘State Service’ or ‘Civil Service of the State’ all offices and positions of trust or employment of the state or any department, independent agency or other agency, board or commission thereof; also all officers and positions of trust or employment in the employ of both state and federal agencies administering state and/or federal funds; joint state and municipal agencies financed by state and/or municipal funds, except municipal boards of health; joint state or parochial agencies financed by state and/or parochial funds; irrespective of whether the pay for such offices and positions of trust or employment is to be paid with state or municipal or parochial funds or with funds contributed jointly by the state and/or municipalities and/or parishes involved.
“The petition alleges that the Audubon Park Commission employs a large number of persons whose positions are in the classified service and that they are entitled to the rights, privileges and benefits afforded them by the Civil Service Amendment and the rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, and that it is the duty of the Audubon Park Commission and its commissioners to comply with and abide by the Civil Service Amendment and the rules issued thereunder, which the petition alleges that the commissioners have ignored and refused to do.
“The petition alleges, further that on April 24, 1956, the State Civil Service Commission issued a formal order, which is annexed to the petition, requiring the commissioners to forthwith comply with the amendment and the rules and regulations of the State Civil Service Commission.
“The Audubon Park Commission and the City Civil Service Commission pleaded non-joinder of parties defendant, stating that the City Civil Service Commission was not made a party to this suit. The intervention of the City Civil Service Commission into this proceeding disposes of this exception. Exceptions of no right of action and no cause of action were referred to the merits of the case.
“There is in the record a stipulation to the effect that it is the duty of the Audubon Park Commission to comply with Article XIV, Section 15, of the Constitution and the rules and regulations issued thereunder either by the State Civil Service Commission or by the City Civil Service Commission; therefore the exception based upon the proposition that there is no allegation in the petition to the effect that the Audubon Park Commission is a state commission and its employees in the State Civil Service will be overruled.
“There were exceptions of improper procedure levelled at the right of the Civil Service Commission to proceed by mandamus. The Constitution, at Article XIV Section 15, provides that any valid regulation or order of the State or City Civil Service Commission shall be enforceable in the courts of this state by mandamus; therefore this exception was overruled.
“The Audubon Park Commission employs a number of persons whose positions under the Civil Service Amendment are in the classified service. The sole question to be decided in this case is whether the Audubon Park Commission is a department, independent agency or other agency, board or commission of the State of Louisiana within the meaning of Paragraph (A) (2) [923]*923of Article XIV, Section 15, of the Constitution.
“The pertinent paragraphs are as follows :
“(A) (2) State Service. ‘State Service’ or ‘Civil Service of the State’ means all offices and positions of trust or employment in the employ of the State or any department, independent agency or other agency, board or commission thereof (Such as Dock Boards and all Boards of Commissioners, Levee and Drainage Boards and Commissions, Housing Authorities, Court House Commission of New Orleans, State Hospitals, Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College), and shall also include all offices and positions of trust or employment in the employ of joint State and Federal agencies administering State and/or Federal funds; joint state and municipal agencies financed by state and/or municipal funds, except municipal boards of health; joint state or parochial agencies financed by state and/or parochial funds; irrespective of whether the pay for such offices and positions of trust or employment is to be paid with state or municipal or parochial funds or with funds contributed jointly by the state and/or municipalities and/or parishes involved.
“(A) (3) City Service. ‘City Service’ or ‘Civil Service of the City’ means all offices and positions of trust or employment in the employ of the city, or any department, independent agency or other agency, board or commission thereof, including City Boards of Health, or corporations organized for public purposes, any part of the stock of which is owned or controlled by the city, and persons employed by city or joint federal and city agencies administering city and federal relief and other funds, other than the military and naval service, irrespective of whether the pay for such offices and positions of trust or employment be paid out of the City Treasury, either in whole or in part.
“The Audubon Park Association was first incorporated under the laws of the State of Louisiana as a non-profit corporation, by act before Sámuel Flower, Notary Public, on June 20, 1894, and the charter of the association provides that the Mayor and the Commissioners of Public Works, Police and Public Buildings of the City of New Orleans, are to serve ex-officio.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Slowinski v. EEIDD
828 So. 2d 520 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2002)
City of New Orleans v. State
443 So. 2d 562 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1984)
Audubon Park Commission v. Civil Service Commission
410 So. 2d 1295 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1982)
State ex rel. Guste v. Audubon Park Commission
355 So. 2d 984 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1978)
City of New Orleans v. Board of Commissioners
148 So. 2d 782 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1962)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
99 So. 2d 920, 1958 La. App. LEXIS 473, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-civil-service-commission-v-audubon-park-commission-lactapp-1958.