Harlan Kirgan
Eunice and Opelousas city judge and marshal operating budgets narrowly escaped a 15 percent reduction from the St. Landry Parish Council.
The 15 percent budget cut was rejected on a 6-5 vote at Wednesday’s meeting, but the Eunice and Opelousas operations were trimmed by 5 percent in the Parish Council’s 2018 budget.
The 2018 Parish Council budget reduces mandated expenses by 5 percent. Mandated expenses include offices such as district court judges,district attorney, registrar of voters, clerk of court, assessor and others.
Councilman Harold Taylor, who proposed the 15 percent cut to the city judge and marshal operations, said the Council grappled with a million dollar budget crisis last year.
“We cut 16 employees and another $250,000 of operational expenses,” he said.
Of the Parish Council’s $6.2 million general fund budget, $4 million is soaked up by mandated expenses, he said.
“In addition to the budget crisis we had last year, we were running short of dollars to pay the bills the remainder of the year,” he said. “So, we authorized them to get a line of credit. We borrowed a million and half dollars about August and September to carry us through the end of the year.”
Parish President Bill Fontenot included the 5 percent cut in mandated expenses in the budget he submitted and which the Council approved.
Taylor said of the mandated expense reductions, “We’ve got $200,000 out there of wishful thinking at best. Perhaps the folks are going to go along with it. We can hope they will.”
Added to the parish budget pressure is the state bond commission requires the parish to place $300,000 in escrow so it can eventually stop using the $1.5 million line of credit, Taylor said. That $300,000 annual escrow payment is to continue for five years.
Voting with Taylor for the 15 percent cut to the city judges and marshals were Ken Marks, Alvin Stelly, Wayne Ardoin and Timmy Lejeune. Voting against the 15 percent cut were Jimmie Edwards, Coby Clavier, Nancy Carriere, Vivian Olivier and Dexter Brown. Easton Shelvin, an Opelousas City Marshal employees, abstained from voting.
The 15 percent cut would have reduced the parish’s total payout to the city judges and marshals from $134,864 this year to $114,996 in 2018 — about $20,000.
Councilman Timmy Lejeune said the parish’s budget cuts have been felt the heaviest in the Road and Bridge Fund. “We have about seven employees left to manage 800 miles of roads.”
The budget with the 5 percent cut was approved by all Council members except Easton, who abstained, and Chairman Jerry Red, who votes at his option.
Eunice City Judge Terry Hoychick, Eunice City Marshal Terry Darbonne, and Opelousas City Marshal Paul Mouton were present to oppose the 5 percent cut.
The cuts were for the operational budgets. Salaries of the officials cannot be reduced at this time.
Hoychick, who took office in 2015, said the 15 percent would have trimmed his parish funding from $18,400 to $5,400.
“You know I’m from Basile and my math is not that good but that’s a 70 percent cut to our budget,” he said.
Hoychick, Darbonne and Mouton pointed out their offices serve wards, which are part of the parish.
Darbonne and Mouton stressed the dangers faced in their jobs and the need for equipment.
Under the budget approved, the judges offices are to receive a total of $52,362 in 2018, down from $55,127 this year. The marshal’s office in 2018 are a total of $76,758, down from $79,709.
The meeting was preceded with budget numbers including salaries for the city judges and marshals sent with the agenda.
The information included:
Darbonne’s total compensation for the year ended June 20, 2015 was $87,033. His salary came from city of Eunice, $32,227; $10,000, pairsh; $12,792, Eunice City Court; $6,000, state supplemental; and $12,919, city marshal. The balance was from insurance, retirement, registration fees and telephone.
Hoychick’s compensation for the year ended June 30, 2016, totaled $163,189. The total included $`14,398, judges supplemental compensation; $106,568, salary/fees; $41,348, retirement; $375, registration fees; and $500, dues and memberships.
Mouton’s total compensation for the year ended Dec. 31, 2016, was $69,403, which included $41,869, salary; $5,474, insurance; $7,425, retirement; and $14,635, per diem.
Opelousas City Judge Vanessa Harris’ compensation for the year ended Dec. 31, 2016, totaled $82,114. The total included $53,000, salary; $21,756, retirement; $1,728, insurance; $531, per diem; $844, travel; $1,165, registration fees; $2,270, convention travel; and $620, dues and memberships.