Patterson officials take oath of office

PATTERSON — Seven Patterson city government officials took their oaths of office for a new term Monday morning, including two men who won election for the first time Nov. 6.

Police Chief Garrett Grogan and Council Lee Condolle officially joined the city government in a ceremony at the Patterson Area Civic Center.

Incumbent council members John Rentrop, Joe Russo, Sandra K. Turner and Travis Darnell and Mayor Rodney Grogan also took the oath from 16th Judicial District Judge Anthony Thibodeaux. So did new Police Chief Garrett Grogan, who won outright in a three-candidate field in the Nov. 6 primary. He’ll be the elected replacement for Chief Patrick LaSalle, who resigned last spring. Janis Merritt has served as the interim chief.

“There’s a challenge set before me,” Garrett Grogan told the audience, “yet a challenge I accept.”

Condolle is the lone new council member after winning the election to replace Larry Mendoza, who leaves after serving six four-year terms.

Mayor Grogan gave Mendoza a symbolic key to the city.

“I’m going to be sitting on my front porch, watching,” Mendoza said. “And I know they’ll do well. But I’ll tell them what I was told when I was in school: ‘Don’t make me come down to City Hall!’”

The mayor talked about recent accomplishments, including a new water plant that, at $5 million, cost less than half what would have been required to rehabilitate the city’s 75-year-old facility.

“Let the work that I’ve done speak for me,” Rodney Grogan said. “That was my campaign slogan. Now I’m saying, let the work that we’ve done together speak for us.”

Grogan had some kind words for LaSalle as well as for the new police chief, who is his first cousin. The mayor and LaSalle feuded over allegations that the mayor tried to intimidate a police officer who gave him a ticket and over the mayor’s firing of two officers he said mishandled a sexual harassment allegation.

“Chief LaSalle did keep us safe,” Grogan said.