Harlan Kirgan
St. Landry Parish Government’s budget was back under review during a special meeting of the Parish Council on Thursday.
Amanda Cain, finance director, presented a preliminary budget that whittled a $151,000 deficit down to $14,000 from a budget she presented Nov. 1.
The $6 million general fund budget has $4 million that is untouchable, she said.
“So, you really just have $2 million to work with and then you have a large percentage of that as salary and fringe benefits,” she said. “I really don’t have a whole lot of wiggle room here to get this thing balanced. Now, it has to be balanced. I can’t show a $14,000 deficit for 2018.”
The budget is asking that expenses be cut 5 percent and that includes offices such as the district attorney, judges, clerk of court, registrar of voters, assessor, city courts and others which are required by the state to be funded.
“If we funded 100 percent of the mandated (requests) we would be short over $400,000,” she said.
Councilman Harold Taylor suggested two or three Council members should join Fontenot and Cain in meetings with parish officials with mandated expense requests.
The Parish Council decided at the Thursday special meeting that all employees with supervisory roles be salaried.
Presently, only Parish President Bill Fontenot and Cain are salaried employees.
Fontenot said there about four manager and 10 supervisors in parish government. About 60 employees are paid hourly.
The budget is to be approved December.
The Paris Council is to meet again on Wednesday.