PORT ALLEN — A Louisiana appeals court has upheld a decision saying Port Allen's municipal administrator cannot run for mayor because he enjoys a property tax exemption on a house he owned in Plaquemine.

In a 3-2 decision Wednesday, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal said Lance Joseph was ineligible to serve as Port Allen's mayor because he is not a resident of the West Baton Rouge city. An 18th Judicial District judge last week ruled that an Iberville Parish homestead exemption that has been in place for more than a decade disqualified him.

Joseph claimed Judge Tonya Lurry made six errors, including her admitting an unsigned document showing the homestead exemption for the Iberville Parish home. The 1st Circuit said Lurry abused her discretion while admitting it, but noted Joseph testified himself that the homestead exemption existed.

"Therefore, any error...did not interdict the factfinding process," the appeals court wrote. After considering Joseph's other five claims, the court said it could find no obvious error in Lurry's decision.

The race has two other candidates: Terecita Pattan, who works at City Hall as a human resources officer, and Clyde Robertson Sr.