Lafourche council giveth, Randolph taketh away

Within two weeks of closing out the fiscal year of 2009, Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph took back the $55,000 the parish council allocated for legislative use in the 2010 budget.

“The money was not previously budgeted for,” Randolph said. “The council amended the budget to add the money prior to the budget being adopted. But as the law states, the upcoming budget has to also be balanced just like the previous year’s budget because all the money in the budget is earmarked for a purpose.”

The council held a special meeting last Tuesday to override Randolph’s vetoes and funnel the $20,000 for legislative miscellaneous use and the $25,000 for legislative professional services back into the council’s budget.

Unfortunately, both motions failed. Councilman Rodney Doucet cast the lone vote in favor of the vetoes. Councilman Louis Richard was absent.

Doucet argued that the $20,000 could have been used to buy a new set of council chairs.

“We need to be able to use that money for necessities,” he said.

The majority of the council agreed with Randolph’s decision with the caveat that the administration would reallocate the money with a supplemental appropriation in January.

“The budget at the beginning of the year can be adjusted and money can be shifted around,” Randolph explained.

The council also unanimously approved the following agreements.

• Hired Volute Inc. for $1.55 million for the Lewistown, Rita and Marydale sewer rehabilitation project.

• Hired Week’s Marine for $1.72 million for the Northwest Little Lake Marsh creation and enhancement project.

• Authorized Randolph to enter into an agreement with Department of Transportation and Development to use federal stimulus money for a parishwide turning lane project.

• Approved a contract with Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Service Inc. to provide commercial general liability, auto, public officials and employee liability for the parish government.