Hidalgo keeps Parish Council chair; Rink is vice chair

Gwendolyn Hidalgo of Bayou Vista will chair the St. Mary Parish Council for the next year and Dr. Kristi Prejeant Rink of Centerville will serve as vice chair after votes Wednesday at the council's first regular meeting of 2024.
They'll lead the council as it wrestles with what new Parish President Sam Jones says is a projected $2.5 million budget shortfall in the coming year.
Hidalgo has served as chair for the last year, and received seven of 11 votes to keep that position for 2024. Rink received 11 votes for vice chair.
The council also voted to confirm the reappointments of parish department heads: Finance Director Paul Governale, Planning & Zoning Director Tammy Luke, Personnel Director Jillian Fisher and Economic Development Director Evan Boudreaux.
John "Booker" Davis will also move up from parish works supervisor to director. Jean Paul Bourg had continued to direct public works after he was promoted to chief administrative officer last year.
The board also re-elected Councilman he Rev. Craig Mathews as chair of the council's Budget Advisory Committee after Ina withdrew his name from consideration.
At a special meeting to swear in new officials Monday, Mathews pushed back against Jones' assertion that the parish faces a budget shortfall of $2.5 million-$2.7 million. Jones described the situation as the potential for running out of money in May.
On Wednesday, Jones said Finance Director Governale had confirmed the potential shortfall.
He said he will tell the council what he plans to do about the budget later.
"We have to trim our sails," Jones said.
On Monday, the council rejected Jones' choice for a new CAO.
"I've had some cooperation the last couple of days," Jones said Wednesday. "But it's still uncertain."