The Lafayette District Attorney's Office filed a petition Friday seeking to disqualify a contender for Youngsville police chief, claiming the candidate did not meet the one-year domicile requirement to run for the office.
The petition, based on a complaint from Youngsville resident and registered voter James Savell, claims John M. Trahan lived outside the Youngsville city limits prior to qualifying on July 18.
The petition states Trahan has lived at 206 Bonin Road, in Lafayette, since 1993. The address is about two and half miles away from Youngsville's northernmost border.
Trahan ran for Lafayette City Marshall in 2020 and listed the same address. Trahan's homestead exemption, which can only be registered to a primary domicile, was registered at the Lafayette address, according to the petition.
Trahan said Friday evening he did not claim a homestead exemption.
The petition claims Trahan's voter registration was changed to a Youngsville address at 401 Détente Road in November 2023. Trahan purchased the land in 2022 but used it commercially as the Acadian Oasis RV Park, according to the petition. The property did have an office building, but no permanent residential structures existed as of qualification.
Trahan said he resides in an RV at the park, and that he has resided in the RV full time since 2021. He said he bought the property in 2008 and began living there part time in 2018.
The Youngsville land development code prohibits RVs from being used as permanent residences.
In April 2024, Trahan renewed his driver’s license using the Lafayette address with four vehicles registered at the same address.
Former Youngsville Chief Rickey Boudreaux was disqualified on Wednesday by Judge Michelle Breaux from running in a special election triggered by his own resignation. That petition cited a Louisiana law as its basis to disqualify Boudreaux.
Boudreaux, who represented himself, said he would abide by the judge’s ruling.
Savell, who filed the complaint against Trahan, was a vocal supporter of Boudreaux when, in March 2023, Youngsville City Council approved a resolution to investigate Boudreaux.
"All of you need to be fired," Savell said at the public meeting. "Every single one of you. And I mean that."
Trahan has 32 years of law enforcement experience as a trooper with Louisiana State Police and a former deputy with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, according to previous reporting. Trahan ran an unsuccessful bid for Lafayette city marshal in 2020, eliminated from the race after receiving 20% of the vote during the primary election.
Other candidates who qualified last week for the race include interim Youngsville Police Chief Cody Louviere, Jean Paul “JP” Broussard and Matt Thomassee.
Louviere, appointed interim chief by the council last year, spent 22 years at the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, where he rose through the ranks until his recent appointment.
Broussard has 27 years of experience in law enforcement and emergency services, working as a paramedic for Acadian Ambulance and a deputy marshal for the Lafayette Marshal's Office.
Thomassee worked as a deputy and later as a supervisor for the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office before working as a private investigator. Thomassee ran an unsuccessful bid in 2014 for a seat on the Youngsville City Council and applied twice in 2023 to fill vacancies on the council but was not appointed to either seat.
The primary election is set for Nov. 5, with a general election happening Dec. 7 if there is a runoff.