Jones: St. Mary has more than just bickering

FRANKLIN — Parish President Sam Jones has had a sometimes tense relationship with the St. Mary Parish Council during his first three months in office. But Jones told a St. Mary Chamber luncheon audience Wednesday that positive things are happening in the parish, too.
Jones has sparred with Parish Council members over what he has insisted is a potential $2.5 million-$2.7 million shortfall in this year’s budget.
Yet despite the budget struggles, parish’s governments have managed to come up with capital outlay funding for important work, Jones said. That includes $175,000 for work at the Fairview Treatment Center, $266,400 for Kemper-Williams Park, $1.15 million for work on Lake Palourde Road, $1 million for the Central Fire Station and $400,000 for emergency power at an Amelia pump station.
Morgan City has received $7 million for gas and water system improvements, and Patterson has received $5 million-$6 million for water and sewer upgrades, all from some combination of federal and state funds.
In the more contentious 2024 budget issue, the council appeared to go along with a series of cost-cutting measures, including deferred equipment purchases, tighter overtime rules and, most controversially, delaying 25% of its allocation to nongovernmental agencies and local fire departments.
But, while those changes whittled down about half the shortfall, the council balked at more cuts, including a hike in the allocation deferrals to 50%.
Jones blamed the shortfall on $20 million in parish bond borrowing and large payments that become due this year. Jones said he didn’t agree with the borrowing.
At Wednesday’s Parish Council meeting, Finance Director Paul Governale — who had been appointed by Jones and confirmed by the council as chief administrative officer — said $3 million in payments on the debt come due in the next few months.
The shortfall remains unsolved, Jones said. “The reason is the Parish Council hasn’t passed an ordinance to reduce spending.”
Jones told the Chamber audience that he will use the authority he has under the charter to refuse to pay bills for which the parish doesn’t have adequate funding.
“We’re going to keep fighting,” he said. “We’re going to keep spending down.”