Jones: Progress on parish budget

A year of wrestling with the budget has put St. Mary Parish government on track to finish the fiscal year $600,000 to the good, President Sam Jones told the Parish Council at the March 26 meeting.
But that doesn’t mean all the struggles are over.
Also at the meeting, the council praised the Franklin High boys basketball team for winning a second straight state championship. And Clarence Robinson, who already directs the Morgan City and Berwick housing authorities, got another post.
Jones ran for president saying that the parish government was too far in debt and lacked the funds to provide matches for available grants. Although the claims were sometimes disputed by council members, a series of belt-tightening measures followed.
Jones said March 26 that $3 million was cut from the budget, resulting in the surplus. Scrutiny of the budget will continue, he said.
“It’s not a lot of money,” he told council members. “But it’s a positive.”
Jones thanked council members for their cooperation.
Even so, Councilman David Hill of Bayou Vista wanted to know why a $13,000 council appropriation for a new fire alarm system at the community’s recreation center resulted in a payment of only $11,000.
The money was to have come from the proceeds of a 3/10ths sales tax.
Jones pointed to language in the home rule charter that says the president isn’t obligated to pay bills for which there is no money.
And, although Chief Administrative Officer Paul Governale said the proceeds are distributed properly under the terms of the dedication, the money goes into the general fund and not a separate account.
But Hill repeatedly asked why the council’s appropriation wasn’t honored. He said he’d put the payment on the April 9 council agenda.
Also March 26:
•The council appointed Robinson to the Hospital Service District No. 2 board.
The district owns the Morgan City hospital operated under lease as Ochsner St. Mary.
Robinson has been credited with improving operations at both the Berwick and Morgan City housing authorities. Berwick Mayor Duval Arthur asked the council to appoint Robinson, giving his town a seat on the board.
“He’s our housing director and an all-around good guy,” Arthur said.
•The council passed a resolution congratulating the Franklin High School boys basketball team for winning the Non-Select Division IV state championship last month in Lake Charles.
“We’re working on a three-peat,” coach Tremayne Johnson told the council.
The Hornets won their second straight state title despite losing seven seniors from the 2024 championship squad.
•Councilman Rodney Olander of Franklin said that in coming months he will suggest changes in the parish ordinance adopting the Unified Development Code that sets construction standards.
“I don’t know about the rest of you all,” Olander said, “but myself, I don’t enjoy seeing New Iberia and Houma growing by leaps and bounds and we’re just staying stagnant. … I want to make it easier for people who want to come here and start building in St. Mary Parish.”
•The council passed resolutions of respect for 16th Judicial District Attorney M. Bofill Duhé, who died March 15, and Cleveland Jackson Sr. of Sorrel, who served as a school bus driver and member of the Gravity Drainage District No. 1 board for more than 30 years.