Lafourche Parish Council OKs proposed $50.9 million budget

The Lafourche Parish Council voted on 39 budget amendments for Parish President Charlotte Randolph’s proposed $50.9 million budget Tuesday night at the Barrios Center in Raceland.

According to Councilman Michael Matherne, amendments totaling about $4.4 million were not made available to councilmen until roughly six hours before the meeting.

Of the 39 amendments, 32 passed, four failed and three were withdrawn.

Before the council began voting on the amendments, Matherne expressed his concern about voting on $4.4 million of amendments on such short notice. “Budget amendments need to be submitted in writing three days before the meeting, and I didn’t get any of these amendments three days before the meeting.”

Council Chairman Brent Callais said the home-rule charter states extraordinary circumstances—in this case days off because of last week’s Thanksgiving holiday—the amendments are allowed to be voted on.

“My concern is not whether we can do it,” said Matherne. “It’s whether we should do it. At 11:30 a.m. today, at lunchtime, I received $4.4 million in amendments. Six hours ago. And I think it’s a little unreasonable to ask a man to vote for $4.4 million dollars of amendments, looking at it six hours.

“I think the charter is there for a reason, so you have time to view the appropriateness … but I question the timing of it. I know the Parish Council offices were closed, but I’m not sure if we should (go forth),” he said.

Councilman Tommy Lasseigne countered, saying, “We’re constraining with time. Let’s get a chance to get some of these things more clearly articulated to us.”

Matherne again expressed concern about the council considering over 10-percent of the budget with six-hours notice.

Still, the council went forth with the voting.

Two of the key amendments were to decrease executive travel expenses and bring back a parishwide curbside-recycling program that was scrapped two years ago.

The decrease of executive travel expenses was approved with a 5-4 vote. Councilman Michael Delatte, Matherne, Phillip Gouaux and Tyronne Williams voted against the measure.

The council agreed 5-2 to set aside funds for the possible reinstatement of a curbside-recycling program into Lafourche Parish. Councilman Mark Atzenhoffer and Gouaux voted against it. Councilman Daniel Lorraine abstained from the vote.

Lasseigne proposed reducing the executive travel expenses by $21,000 to “save money.” “All we’re doing is spending ridiculous amounts of money,” he said. “In-state travel I don’t understand. You have a car.”

Parish President Charlotte Randolph countered, focusing on the conferences in Alexandria that would cost a lot of money to drive to and from on a daily basis. “You want me to sleep in the car,” Randolph asked.

Lengthy discussion took place concerning the recycling budget amendment, which was offered by Lassigne and seconded by Matherne, but in the end the council agreed set aside $300,000 for the possible reinstatement of the curbside-recycling program.

Presently, the City of Thibodaux offers a curbside-recycling program. Other areas of the parish have recycling sites at parish maintenance barns, a reason some councilmen believe the parish-wide program should not be reinstated.

“These discussions go beyond whether or not recycling is something we need,” said Atzenhoffer. “Because we don’t have it now, and I think everybody’s trash is still getting picked up. Those who really want to recycle have the ability to recycle.

“It does dedicate the $300,000. The fund balance is going to go down to $100,000. That is an invitation to have to raise the tax. I know $400,000 is not too far away from $100,000, but at $400,000 you can handle things. For $100,000 there’s not much you can handle.”

Another councilman pointed out that only five-percent of the parish utilized the curbside-recycling program when it still existed.

Lasseigne, who proposed the amendment, said, “This is something I think the public wants … and that’s who we work for. I don’t think it’s that expensive, especially when you consider that tax revenues are steadily increasing, and if we do have to raise them it’s not going to be because of this. I think it’s a viable project.”

In Other Lafourche Parish Council Action:

• Approved (9-0) a budget amendment to create a Cut Off Walking Track for an estimated cost of $40,000.

• Approved (9-0) a budget amendment for $40,000 to pay for a portion of the health Insurance for the full-time Council on Aging Employees.

• Approved (9-0) a budget amendment of $100,000 to supplement an existing 2006 capital pump station project to improve drainage in the Gheens area.

• Deferred (9-0) ordinance providing for a Supplemental Appropriation for revenue received from FEMA as reimbursement for the rental of dams used during Hurricane Rita.

• Passed (9-0) ordinance to abolish the Recreation Coalition Board and the North Lafourche Revitalization District Board and direct all duties and responsibilities to be transferred to the Administrative offices of the Lafourche Parish Government.

• Passed (7-2) ordinance to provide for a supplemental appropriation for the establishment of the HUD-EDI Special Projects Grant for Waterfront Development along Bayou Lafourche in Ascensino, Assumption and Lafourche Parishes. An example of the waterfront development is a wharf project in front of the tourist center in Raceland Nays: Mark Atzenhoffer, Tommy Lasseigne.

• Approved (7-0) a resolution requesting the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office contribute $40,000 to the Parish to assist with security at the Old Courthouse and Courthouse Annex Building in Thibodaux.