Parish to experience projected budget deficit

The Evangeline Parish Police Jury received some disconcerting news from Secretary Treasurer Donald Bergeron at Tuesday’s meeting. He told them there is a projected deficit of approximately $370,000 in the General Fund. He attributes that from about $337,000 they received less from the state in revenue sharing, which mainly comes from oil and gas revenue. Also local taxes and fees were about $40,000 less. He said they were fortunate to receive $471,000 from the CARES Act, which Bergeron said is what helped them to get through 2020. However, the CARES Act funding ended in September, so from then until the end of the year, they were receiving no federal aid.
Also, according to Bergeron, the prisoner housing situation has greatly affected the budget. Housing prisoners outside the parish was originally budgeted for $290,000 for 2020, but by the end of this year, it will most likely be more than double that. “In all likelihood, we’re going to reach $600,000 before the year is over. It’s a very, very serious situation with criminal housing,” said Bergeron. The parish has 138 outside prisoners on the jury’s dime. They are getting bottle-necked in the courts, and DOC was not allowing the transfer of prisoners because of COVID. The parish had received funding via the CARES Act, which was directly related to the housing of prisoners helped. “If it wouldn’t have been for that, I don’t know if we would have made it to the end of the year. We’d be starting off really hurting next year. That $471,000 offset that extra expense, but then we were short $337,000 from the state. We got hit from both sides.”
The jury is budgeting $300,000 for the housing of inmates outside the parish for 2021. On paper, it looks like the sheriff’s officer is getting a big cut going into 2021, but it is basically a standstill budget from the previous year. Expenses for that department have doubled this year, partly because of more arrests which stacks the inmate population, forcing them to be housed in other parishes because there is no more room in Evangeline. Police Jury President Ryan LeDay Williams said of Sheriff Charles Guillory, “He’s basically doing his job, but he’s arresting double the amount of people.” Bergeron added, “When the public says, ‘Lock ‘em up,’ there’s a cost to it. We don’t have a tax to pay for the housing.” The cost to house inmates outside the parish is $26.39 per day, per inmate. There are around five parishes housing Evangeline Parish inmates.
Bergeron went on to say there is no projected federal aid for state and local government for 2021. “Who knows what’s going to happen next year?” he said. He added they were able to cut about $257,000 out of the General Fund budget. “Every department shared in the cuts.” Further, he said they do not carry much money in the General Fund, but they were fortunate to build up a surplus. “If everything stays on target next year, if we get all of the revenues we’re expecting to get, if everybody stays on budget, we’re projected to finish the year with less than $350,000 in our checking account. That’s getting pretty tight.” He said there needs to be some belt-tightening next year, and hopefully get help from the federal government, and get the prisoners moving through court.
Juror Lamar Johnson said there needs to be more cuts in the budget, even cutting police juror salaries. “I think we all have to take a cut,” said Johnson, adding, “Everybody has to realize that. It’s not going to be business as usual.” Williams agreed. Bergeron said the proposed 2021 budget reflects cuts on everyone. He said they will monitor it and make adjustments after the first quarter if they need to.
Bergeron also said the Criminal Court Fund is $17,758 in the red. He said they are due a few payments from the sheriff’s department. If they do not receive enough money to cover that amount, he asked the jurors to cover the amount by transferring the difference from the General Fund. The Jury approved the transfer of the full amount, should there be a need for it.
The Jury approved the 2020 amended budget and adopted the proposed 2121 budget. Also, in order to save money, the jury voted to remove themselves from worker’s compensation insurance.
For more on Tuesday’s meeting, pick up a copy of the Thursday, December 31, edition of the Ville Platte Gazette.