FERRIDAY, La. – Mayor Odeal Montgomery said Wednesday that she plans to meet with members of the Ferriday Housing Authority’s board by mid-June to discuss appointments to the board.

In Tuesday’s Ferriday Town Council meeting, Montgomery said Ferriday does not have a legally operating housing authority because Director Charles Bell has refused to recognize members she has appointed.

Montgomery cited a Louisiana law that states that the mayor has the sole authority to appoint board members.

In Tuesday’s meeting, she also cited an attorney general’s opinion that said state law does not give tenants the authority to vote for board appointments.

But on Wednesday, the mayor declined to discuss the attorney general’s opinion. &uot;I respect them (the authority’s board) enough to discuss it with them first,&uot; Montgomery said.

Montgomery also added that she hopes that meeting will take place before the Town Council’s June 13 meeting, although no date had been set as of Wednesday.

Bell could not be reached for comment at his home or office Tuesday night, and on Wednesday personnel at the Housing Authority’s office said Bell was out of town and could not be reached for comment.

Montgomery appointed Angela Schneider, Cleveland Payne and Police Chief Eddie Newman to the Ferriday Housing Authority’s board last year.

Neither Schneider nor Payne could not reached for comment Wednesday, and Newman would not comment.

But according to Montgomery, Bell told Schneider she was not on the board and told Newman he could not not serve on the board because he is a city employee.

Instead, Bell said housing authority tenants voted to appoint Antoinette Brown to the board to fill Irene Collins’ position on the board after Collins’ term expired, Montgomery said.

Current board members Marguerite Hayes and Antoinette Brown had no comment Wednesday, while Adean Pipes could not be reached for comment and Sammy Davis Jr. was out of town.