St. Landry officials exceeded travel budget, report shows
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The presentation of a monthly parish government budget report sparked a series of arguments during a Wednesday night Finance Committee meeting after the report revealed nearly $28,000 in overspending for St. Landry Parish Council and administrative travel.
Parish council member Harold Taylor noted that auditor Steve Moosa recently questioned the 2022 travel expense deficit issue for parish government when Moosa met individually with him, parish administrative officials and other council members to discuss budgetary matters.
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Taylor pointed out that the parish government budget income statement dated July 31 shows the current line item in council members’ travel budget indicates overspending of $17,591.
The same income statement also reviewed by council members Wednesday night shows travel expenses for the administrative branch of parish government have exceeded its budgeted appropriation by $10,264.
A large parish government delegation, which included several council members and administrative officials, recently attended the annual National Association of County Officials July 21-24 in Adams County, Colorado.
Parish Council members Timothy LeJeune, Dexter Bown, Jerry Red Jr., Nancy Carriere and Jimmie Edwards attended the conference in addition to Parish President Jessie Bellard, Code Enforcement Director Richard Lewis, several administrative office staff members and Council Clerk Sherell Jordan.
Normally, parish government picks up a portion of the travel expenses if members of the administration and council members attend conventions.
In a Thursday interview, Jordan said those who attended the NACO trip had their travel and hotel expenses paid by parish government.
An item on the NACO website advertises the convention as a series of seminars that provides county officials with information during a series of workshops and conferences.
Jordan said the workshops she attended provided information on parliamentary procedure and record keeping for council meetings.
Some parish council members and administrators attended a conference earlier this year in Washington, D.C. in addition to the statewide Policy Jury Association conference, Jordan said.
In a previous Daily World interview, Bellard said that during the Washington, D.C. trip, he was able to connect with several Congressional staff members who provided details on broadband funding as well as federal grant revenues for drainage that will eventually be given to St. Landry.
The item of council travel needed to be discussed on Wednesday night, Taylor said, because it was a matter that caught the attention of Moosa during budget discussions.
Red maintained that attending conventions such as NACO is necessary. He said a NACO attendee years ago gave other council members and him information on obtaining a grant writer for parish government.
“It’s (the conferences) for our benefit. Now we have someone writing grants for the parish. At these conferences you can get things that are going to help this parish,” Red added.
Red mentioned that at the statewide Police Jury Association meetings parish government has been able to obtain information on how to help St. Landry Parish towns that are struggling financially.
Bellard said Red, Edwards and LeJeune are also members of NACO committees.
“These conventions are not vacations. We go to them trying to get things for this parish. It’s a return investment for this parish,” said Bellard.
Taylor said the council earlier in the year approved an annual budget and if later there are increases for expenditures in the budget then the council can vote on those items and amend the budget.
The budgetary year for parish government ends Dec. 31.
“I know that we did not approve this extra spending (for council travel,)” Taylor said.
Council member Wayne Ardoin said the over-budgeted travel expenses needed to be discussed during a meeting.
“It’s all about transparency for the people of this parish,” Ardoin said.
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