Harlan Kirgan
The St. Landry Parish Council approved a 2020 budget that provides a 5% pay raise for its employees at a special meeting Thursday in Opelousas.
The raise is a first for about 100 employees in 12 to 15 years, according to Amanda Cain, finance director.
Cain was hired three years ago to get a handle on the parish’s budget that has been shored up by a line of credit to help meet obligations before property taxes are received after the first of the year.
The budget was approved with one “No” vote by Council member Jerry Red. Absent from the meeting were Coby Clavier, Dexter Brown.
A major point in the budget Cain said is a line of credit is being reduced.
In 2017, the parish used $1.3 million and that was reduced to $878,000 in 2018 and $522,000 in 2019, she said.
“I’m hoping for 2020 not to have to borrow money if we stick to the budget,” she said.
Cain has been working the budget to develop a contingency fund that now totals $650,000. She aims to guide the parish toward saving $280,000 this year.
The idea is the contingency fund will be enough to bridge the tax collection gap at the end of the year and help the parish pay for unexpected costs such as repairs, she said.
The shadow cast over the budget are rising costs for juvenile detention and inmate housing, she said. Both costs have been rising in recent months.
The parish’s jail holds 244 inmates and recent prisoner counts are more than 270, she said. When the count exceeds the 244 inmate capacity the prisoners must be housed of the parish.
The cost to house a prisoner outside the parish is $25.39 a day compared to $14.50 a day in the parish lockup.
An even larger shadow over future budgets is whether a jail maintenance tax is going to be passed by voters. That amounts to about $614,000 a year. In November, voters defeated the property tax. Another voter on the tax may be scheduled this November.
Also concerning is the Smooth Ride Home Program’s 2% sales tax collected in unincorporated areas was down in 2019 compared to 2018. Cain said in a couple of months collections fell short of the $477,000 a month bond payment. But in other months collections rose to more than $600,000, she said.
The budget has been helped by parish offices lowering their mandated requests, she said.
Offices such as the district judges, district attorney, registrar of voters have taken a 20% budget cut.
The assessor’s office has not taken any money from the parish government.
Clerk of Court Charles Jagneaux was budgeted $119,985 in 2019 but never took any of that money, Cain said. The clerk did not request any money from the Parish Council in the 2020 budget, she said.
The General Fund budget shows a beginning and ending balance in 2020 of $1,316,356. The amended 2019 budget shows an ending balance of $1,397,147, which is a negative $80,791 change in balance.
Total revenues are budgeted in 2020 at $4,385,485, up from $4,360,464 this year.
Total expenses in 2020 are budgeted at $5,220,129, up from $5,088,886 this year.
General Fund budget changes from 2019 to 2020 included:
Revenues
— Revenue shortfall for 2019 and 2020 of approximately $130,000 from the Video Poker allocation due to loss of Go Bear’s Casino being incorrectly allocated by the state. The Parish Council must pay back the Town of Grand Coteau $75,000 annually over the next several years for a total of $300,000.
— One time unrestricted reserves in general fund type accounts of approximately $150,000 were utilized in 2019 and are no longer available for 2020.
— Utilizing unrestricted reserved Adjudicated Property Revenue of approximately $130,000 for 2020 that may not be available for 2021.
Expenditures
— Increasing the human resources department by a full-time payroll position to be in compliance with internal financial controls for 2020.
— Increasing the administrative department by a part-time receptionist position due to work load increase from Clerk of Court’s office for 2020.
— 2020 cost of living increase for employees.
— Eliminating six parish cell phones that do not meet the cell phone policy approved by the Council for 2020.
— No overtime pay; compensatory time given as earned for 2020.
— Increase in the employees’ portion of health insurance cost for 2020.
— Parish-owned vehicles will not be driven home to save on fuel cost for 2020.
— Increase in Building & Grounds Maintenance of approximately $50,000 for air conditioner units in multiple buildings and necessary elevator repair in Courthouse for 2020.
— Increase in capital outlay for state match requirements for 2020.
— Increase in juvenile detention cost of approximately $13,500 for 2019.
— Increase of prisoner cost by approximately $138,000 for 2019.
— Decrease of $15,000 in transfers to the Airport Fund for 2020.
Three years ago $67,000 was transferred to the Airport Fund from the General Fund.
Other budget changes include adding two positions in the public works department.
The budget also includes several instances where overtime pay is eliminated.