ZACHARY - A Zachary Council member is claiming the city attorney made threats towards him and another council member if they did not vote to roll forward an upcoming tax millage.

Councilman John LeBlanc says City Attorney John Hopewell tried to pressure him into supporting a property tax increase. 

"I won't be coerced, and I won't be threatened or bullied or manipulated by anyone in this administration or any administration," LeBlanc said in the July 8 council meeting.

According to LeBlanc, Hopewell warned him that if he voted against rolling the city's millage forward, a local political action committee, the Jambalaya PAC, would target him and Councilwoman Ambre DeVirgilio in future campaign ads.

"He said, 'This will be used against you in the next election,' like on flyers, and I was just really stunned when he said that," LeBlanc said.

LeBlanc says the alleged threat even referenced a photo of his front yard with a district attorney millage sign as potential ammunition.

He sent an email to Mayor David McDavid outlining what happened, and says the mayor responded by taking it to the state level.

“He did send me an email back, and he said that he was going to send the information to the Attorney General to start an investigation,” LeBlanc said. 

Councilwoman Ambre DeVirgilio, who was also named in the alleged warning, says she's "deeply concerned."

“I believe that every elected official deserves the ability to make decisions freely and without interference or intimidation,” DeVirgilio said. 

DeVirgilio says she's focused on restoring trust in city government and is calling for transparency and accountability.

“I just want us to move forward constructively, ensuring that every member of the city government can serve the public with respect and integrity. The people of Zachary, they truly deserve leaders who focus on solutions rather than distractions,” DeVirgilio said. “I'm so grateful to have received such overwhelming support over the last couple weeks.” 

Now, LeBlanc says he wants to see Hopewell resign. 

“I don't feel like I'm going to be comfortable working with him after all of this has taken place,” LeBlanc said.

The city attorney declined our request for an interview, but said in a statement, "I have no comment other than to say that I am very disappointed in Mr. LeBlanc."

The millage increase will be voted on at the council's next meeting July 22.

WBRZ reached out to Mayor David McDavid for a response to this, but did not receive a response before this story aired.