Our story yesterday about overspending by the Third Judicial District Attorney for the past two years was erroneous. We referred to an audit of the Third Judicial District Judicial Clerk Fund instead of the DA’s audit.
We regret the error.
However, the overspending by the DA’s office has actually gone on for four of the last five years, according to audits done on behalf of the Louisiana Legislative Auditor.
Here are the supporting documents:
Less than two months after requesting a $120 thousand increase in funding (from about $170 thousand/year to about $290 thousand/year) for calendar year 2014 from the Lincoln Parish Police Jury (LPPJ), Lincoln/Union District Attorney Bob Levy has revised that requested increase to nearly $200 thousand. That figure would more than double the amount currently being funded by the jury.
See here the letter.
Wrote Levy:
These expenses for which we seek funding are only partial expenses and do not include many other expenses, not the least of which is salaries, insurance and retirement for the prosecutors. which the Police Jury is also obligated to fund.
Accordingly, the request by this office for 2014 is revised to seek an increase of $197,951.64. If there is any question as to the requirement of paying these expenses as provided by law, please contact me immediately.
It is not clear if the figure quoted in the letter includes the $90 thousand requested two weeks ago for calendar year 2013.
Looks like the Ouachita Parish Police Jury (OPPJ) is going to try again to come up with an employee insurance plan. A 6:00 PM special meeting has been set for tonight (10/30) at the Ouachita Parish Court House, second floor.
Here is the agenda.
Mayor Mayo endorses McAllister
by jordan blum
jblum@theadvocate.com
WASHINGTON — Democratic Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo said Tuesday that he is “strongly supporting” Republican businessman Vance McAllister in the all-GOP runoff for the vacant congressional 5th District seat.
Mayo, who finished third in the Oct. 12 primary election, said he is endorsing McAllister because he is the candidate willing to work across party lines and fight to improve the district, which is “one of the poorest” in the nation.
“He (McAllister) has the ability to relate to all people within the district, which includes people of different party lines and races … people of all walks of life. … That makes him best suited to represent the entire district and not just a portion of it,” Mayo said.
Mayo said he is willing to be as active or inactive in the campaign as McAllister would like leading up to the Nov. 16 runoff election.
The endorsement has the potential to increase McAllister’s standing with Democratic and African-American voters.
An analysis of the recently released audit of the Third Judicial (Lincoln, Union Parishes) District Attorney’s Office shows that the agency has for the past two calendar years overspent its budget.
See here the 2012 Audit.
Revenues for 2012 were about $906 thousand, with corresponding expenditures of about $969 thousand.
For 2011, revenues were about $895 thousand, and about $949 thousand of expenditures.
The audits were performed by Ruston CPA Don McGehee, on behalf of the Louisiana Legislative Auditor.
Two weeks ago, DA Bob Levy sent a letter requesting an extra $90 thousand in appropriation from the Lincoln Parish Police Jury (LPPJ) to cover overdue bills for this fiscal year, and in September, the DA’s office requested a $120 thousand increase in funding for the 2014 fiscal year, from $170 thousand/year to $290 thousand/year.
Janice Simmons and Franciscus Jackson were last week booked into the Jackson Parish Correctional Center and released on $5 thousand bond each, according to the arrest log of the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The two were indicted two weeks ago for perjury by a Jackson Parish grand jury.
Monroe Mayor Mayo’s Saturday night endorsement of Vance McAllister for Congress from Louisiana’s Fifth District isn’t being talked about very much. There’s not a mention on his Facebook page, or his campaign website.
Wonder why?
The Ouachita Parish Police Jury (OPPJ) has called a special meeting for Monday, October 28, 6:00 PM, Ouachita Parish Court House, second floor.
Here is the agenda.
To be considered is selection of a employee health insurance provider for 2014. That action had been delayed at the 10/7 meeting.
Louisiana’s Board of Regents spent slightly over $5 thousand on a recent “retreat” at Nottaway Plantation in White Castle, LA, according to documents uncovered by LaPolitics.
See here the document.
Apparently, no business was conducted at the meeting, as no agenda was provided for the gathering.
See here the notice on the Regent’s website.
Port Allen council adopts budget, mayor plans veto
By Terry L. Jones
tjones@theadvocate.comPORT ALLEN — The City Council adopted an amended version of Mayor Demetric “Deedy” Slaughter’s 2013-14 proposed budget Wednesday nigh, but the mayor has already said she intends to veto the $8.5 million spending plan because she says it doesn’t properly address the concerns of Port Allen residents and city officials.
The budget’s was approved by a majority vote with councilmen R.J. Loupe, Garry Hubble and Hugh “Hootie” Riviere in support. The three councilmen share a passionate opposition to Slaughter’s original $9.7 million proposed budget.
In her letter to the City Council, Slaughter wrote, at a minimum, the council should have approved a budget that included approximately $150,000 in funding for the lease purchase of 18 new Chevrolet Tahos for the Police Department and the purchase of street cameras to enhance public safety in communities prone to crime.
The mayor also stressed the need to fund the creation of a community development position that she intended to pay someone $60,000 annually to seek grant opportunities and oversee the revitalization endeavors for the city’s downtown and riverfront areas.
Councilmen Loupe, Riviere and Hubble all said they think the $60,000 Slaughter wanted to pay for the new position could be better used on infrastructure improvements or upgrades.
The council is already four months late approving a 2013-14 budget.
City government operation is in danger of temporarily shutting down if a new budget isn’t approved by the end of December.
Lincoln Parish News Online 