An ordinance allowing precinct mergers was approved by the St. Landry Parish Administrative-Finance Committee at its meeting Wednesday.
Mike Hefner, of Geographic Planning & Demographic Services, said the ordinance is the first step in reapportionment that wil occur after the 2020 Census.
St. Landry Parish has 93 voting precincts and he will start from a base of 53 precincts in formulating districts based on new population numbers, he said.
The parish has voting precincts ranging from 56 voters up to about 2,000 voters, he said.
Hefner said when reapportionment is completed in 2021 the precinct numbers will be in the 70s or 80s.
Reducing the number of precincts should reduce election costs, he said.
Hefner also is working with the St. Landry Parish School Board in drawing district boundaries.
The parish’s population growth areas are in the south and around Lawtell.
The east and north areas are losing population and Eunice is is “holding its own,” he said.
Hefner said he is basing current estimates on school population studies he has conducted.
In a 2017 report by Hefner’s firm to the St. Landry Parish School Board, Eunice High school will have 566 students in 2023, down 75 students from 2016; Beau Chene High School will have 978 students in 2023, up 79 from 2016; North Central High School will have 295 students in 2023, down 12 from 2016; Northwest High School will have 528 students in 2023, down 40 from 2016; Opelousas Senior High School will have 807 students in 2023, up 69 from 2016; Port Barre High School will have 375 students in 2023, down 42 from 2016; and the Magnet Academy for Cultural Arts in Opelousas will have 343 students in 2023, up 22 from 2016.
The Census Bureau recently reported:
— Eunice’s July 1, 2018, population was estimated at 9,989, down from 10,398 in April 2010.
— Opelousas’ July 1, 2018, population was estimated 16,126, down from 16,634 in April 2010.
Hefner stressed it is important for residents to make sure they get counted in the Census.
In other Parish Council business:
— Ordinances to reduce salaries were scrapped. Parish Council member Jimmie Edwards withdrew his ordinance to reduce the parish president’s pay from $105,000 a year to $85,000. And, Council member Harold Taylor withdrew his ordinance to reduce Parish Council pay by 20%. Council members are paid $12,480 a year.
— Discussed the failed parish jail maintenance tax. The tax, which raised more than $600,000 for the parish jail, expires in January 2021.
“It is imperative that we pass this tax,” Parish Council member Ken Marks said.
