BATON ROUGE - The former East Baton Rouge Chief Administrative Officer under Mayor-President Sid Edwards will return to the mayor's office without the title while performing the same duties.

The Metro Council approved a $180,000 contract for Christel Slaughter, who was appointed CAO in September. She previously served as the interim CAO as well.

According to the City-Parish Finance Department, Slaughter will not receive benefits due to her being listed as an "unclassified employee." The move is expected to save the city-parish close to $70,000.

The contract is set to start Jan. 1, 2026.