Auditors Place Parish On Notice
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
St. Landry Parish government has been provided with a six-month window by the State Legislative Auditor to make noticeable budgetary improvements or else face a financial takeover governed by a legislative auditor.
State auditors who met on Thursday at a monthly State Bond Commission acknowledged that the parish government needs to institute cost cutting measures, while giving the parish another six months to repay a remaining $1.65 million from a $2.9 million line of credit obtained from local lending sources in 2025.
If state auditors are unsatisfied with responses by the parish, a fiscal administrator like the one appointed for the Police Jury in 1992, will be chosen for St. Landry.
During a Parish Council meeting on Wednesday night, parish president admitted that at this time the parish doesn’t have the revenue to pay off the $1.65 million debt.
Bellard also told the Council that banks have not been anxious to lend the parish anymore funding.
The three-member auditing panel also told the Commission on Thursday that after monitoring the parish government budget for the past year, they have concluded the parish has a cash flow problem along with budget projections that appear unrealistic.
In addition the auditors said a significant portion of the proposed revenue stream in the current budget hinged on revenues from a proposed solar farm project which has not been initiated in the St. Landry and parts of Evangeline Parish.
The auditors also said that recent budget projections and projected cuts projected by the parish materialized and it is time for the parish “to get serious” about making cuts for the “entire operation.”
Auditors said after examining the parish budget, they have found no evidence of fiscal impropriety or hiding any revenues.
“They (the parish) are just short,” one of the auditing team admitted.
The parish administration has also been cooperative in communicating with state auditors, but there is still an issue with finances.
Bellard has promised the Council that there will be budget cuts for the 2027 fiscal year that starts Jan. 1.
In previous comments to the Council this year, Bellard has noted that the parish has to spend money for state offices at the courthouse in addition to face rising expenses for adult and juvenile prisoners.
The Council is faced with another budgetary issue which requires a separate recovery plan for an apparent $1.8 million repayment of parish road tax money which presumably used for the last four years for other expenses.
An internal auditor delivered in July said the road tax transfers were probably not illegal, but nonetheless improper.
Oversight performed by a fiscal administrator means the parish council and administration would have no authority of the budget until state auditors decide the parish is headed towards a better financial future.
