Dear Editor,
I read with interest the article by Nancy Duplechain entitled “Wait-and-see approach taken on finances.” In the article, it states that the Evangeline Parish Police Jury discussed the “bleak financial outlook” as to how to alleviate the costs of housing inmates. It stated that the jury was $113,843.00 over budget as a result of the number of prisoners who are in jail for trying to wreck havoc in our community.
In fact, there was even a suggestion to not put as many criminals in jail.
The discussion clearly stated that they cannot “pull from other funds to cover the costs of the prisoners” because it would create additional problems.
But, then, the police jury had a discussion as to what to do with all the “extra money” it received from the increase receipts in the sales tax collections in the sum of $409,028.00 and a rebate from workers comp of $37,555.00. This was an expected windfall of $460,583.00.
But, instead of using some of the funds to assist with the prisoner situation and keep our community safe, “the jury agreed to split the extra $400,000.00 among the jurors to make necessary progress in their respective districts.”
What?
Am I missing something?
In my feeble mind, it appears that it would have been logical to use these excess funds to cover the short fall in their budget to house these criminals who are terrorizing our community and poisoning our residents with drugs.
I wonder just how important those local projects are in “their respective districts” compared to keeping criminals off the street.
C. Brent Coreil