St. Mary cities get word about COVID-19 aid

The Governor’s Office has confirmed the amounts that Louisiana’s smaller communities, including all the municipalities in St. Mary, will receive under the American Rescue Plan.
The money, intended to help local governments over the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, will be welcome. The population estimates on which the allocations are based won’t be.
The Census Bureau estimates are down across St. Mary after seven years of struggles with low energy prices and then the COVID-19 pandemic
The American Rescue Plan money is about what municipalities had been told to expect since it was signed into law in March. The money will come in two payments, or “tranches” — one soon, the other in June 2022. The Governor’s Office press release added two ominous words after June 2022: “or later.”
The allocations for St. Mary municipalities are:
—Morgan City, $3,972,954.16 in two tranches of $1,986,477.08 each.
—Berwick, $1,634,377.62 in two tranches of $817,188.81 each.
—Patterson, $2,142,184.93 in two tranches of $1,071,092.46 each.
—Baldwin, $820,702.41 in two tranches of $410,351.20 each.
—Franklin, $2,481,339.55 in two tranches of $1,240,669.78 each.
Cities with larger populations, ranging in size from Slidell and Thibodaux to Baton Rouge and New Orleans, received funding through a separate program.
“The American Rescue Plan provided vital aid for communities large and small all across Louisiana that are still working to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in the press release, “and we will work at the state level to support these communities.
“This funding will provide a much needed economic boost to Louisiana, and I am deeply grateful to the Congress and to President Biden’s administration for continuing to support state and local government during this unprecedented recovery.”
Local officials have been waiting for exact guidance from the federal government on how the money may be spent.
Patterson Mayor Rodney Grogan expects the guidance to direct money at water and sewer systems; public health, including mental health; broadband internet; COVID-related expenses; pay raises for essential employees; and economic development.
Patterson’s allocation is likely to go toward upgrading water meters, rehabilitating eight or nine pump stations, some form of health initiative and help for mom and pop businesses, and making broadband available in the city’s public facilities, Grogan said.
The mayor would like to give essential employees raises of 2½-3% from city funds and another 3% from the American Rescue Plan funds for as long as they last.
In Berwick, Mayor Duval Arthur has a list of 18 projects ready to go, including a small exhibition building for The Brown House museum property and a new phone system.
An upgrade in town water meters is also on the list, although Arthur said state capital outlay funding may pay for that work.
The latest Census Bureau estimates show declines in municipalities across the parish. The population estimates in the Governor’s Office press release are:
—Morgan City, 10,742, down from 12,404 in the 2010 Census.
—Berwick, 4,419, down from 4,946.
—Patterson, 5,792, down from 6,112.
—Baldwin, 2,219, down from 2,436.
—Franklin, 6,709, down from 7,660.
The estimate declines may hit hardest in Berwick, which started the last decade needing only 54 more people to reach 5,000 and move from town to city status.
Arthur says he has doubts about that estimate.
“I don’t know if that’s completely accurate,” he said.
Arthur pointed to an LSU population estimate, based on factors such as utility hookups, that shows Berwick’s population is closer to 5,200.
“I’m hoping [the lower estimate] isn’t right,” he said.