Darrel LeJeune/ Basile Weekly
Basile Police Department employees received a letter from Mayor Mark Denette on April 12 indicating that the department’s budget for salaries, even though recently amended, is now at a bust.
According to Mayor Denette, this may leave Chief Allen Ivory, Jr. as the sole member of the department until July 1.
Before the town council amended the P.D. salary budget on April 8 (as requested by Ivory) by $10,000, only $8,405.33 was available. When Friday’s two-week payroll was turned in, it amounted to $8,787.84.
With five pay periods left in the fiscal year, $9,617.49 remains in the amended $280,000 budget, according to Vickie Briscoe, town clerk.
Briscoe said that the town will need $8,379 to pay the chief in the next five pay periods, leaving only $1,239.49 to be spread among the other police personnel until July 1, which led the mayor to forewarn the police personnel of the impending budget bust.
According to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office, the Basile Police Department has gone over-budget by some $100,000 for the past two years and was projected to be over again this fiscal year by at least $80,000. To avoid this deficit, the council dismissed the entire dispatch office and switched to the Evangeline 911 system, effective April 1. The elimination of the dispatchers, however, has proved to be too little, too late.
Denette, in his letter to the police personnel, said that the police budget for salaries “will soon be at 100 percent. When the budget reaches 100 percent, I have been instructed not to sign any more checks for hours worked. This was told to me, Councilman Dubroc, Chief Ivory, and Assistant Chief Mac during a meeting after an audit was conducted by the director and members of the Louisiana Auditor’s Office. The director stated if I were to write any personnel checks over the allocated amount voted on by the town council, I could be charged with malfeasance in office.”
The letter continued, “When the annual financial budget is presented to the town council and published for review, there is a period of time for questioning and/or changes; then the council votes to accept the proposed budget. When the budget is accepted and voted on, it is the responsibility of the department manager, which in this case is Chief Ivory, to spend those allocated funds throughout the fiscal year. These allocated funds will reach its limit before the fiscal year is complete; and when it does, no checks will be issued for hours worked.”
The mayor concluded, “I advise you to check with Chief Ivory or Ms. Vickie at City Hall prior to working a shift to assure you will or will not be paid for hours worked. This situation is very unfortunate, but I am only following the advice given to me by the Louisiana Legislator’s Office. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.”
Ivory, however, does not agree that the budget problem is as severe as the mayor says it is.
In a written statement to The Basile Weekly, the chief admitted that the police department’s budget has gone over its allocation for the past few years.
Ivory said, “During the past few years, the department’s budget was reduced in excess of $200,000. It was impossible to operate the police department within the amount that was allocated! Nevertheless, the council chose to allocate the same inadequate amount for the past three years.”
Ivory continued, “The excuse (for the budget cuts) was the fact that the prison halted operation in the town of Basile, resulting in a loss of revenue. The police department, however, was not the reason for losing the prison revenue!”
The chief continued, “In my opinion, the letter (sent by the mayor) was very insensitive and intimidating!!! Since the loss of all of department’s dispatchers, the morale of the remaining department members is at an all time low!! The uncertainty of whether their jobs will soon come to an end is causing them much grief and anxiety!”
Ivory continued, “For everyone’s information, the fate of the Basile Police Department has not been sealed in ‘doom’ as of yet! For those who are interested in the ‘true and whole story,’ please contact me and I will gladly show you the whole story in ‘black and white’!”
Ivory concluded, “Please do not let personal vendettas be the cause for the loss of your police department!”