No-Shows Cancel Meeting
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
No mayor, no finance director, no meeting.
That was the situation early Wednesday afternoon as a Board of Aldermen Budget Committee canceled a meeting intended to initially discuss municipal departmental funding requests for 2026-27 after Treasurer Lawanda St. Ann and Mayor Julius Alsandor failed to attend.
The annual committee meeting is usually convened before the end of the Opelousas city fiscal year Aug. 31 in order to consider yearly budget requests.
Most of the departments are asking for more money for the fiscal year starting Sept. 1.
Budget Committee chairman John Guilbeaux and committee members Sherelle Roberts, Charles Cummings and Chasity Davis Warren were present.
Roberts and City Clerk Leisa Anderson said that St. Ann was sent an email that notified her of the 1 pm meeting, but Roberts said any discussion of finances could not be undertaken without the input of a city official with knowledge of the municipal budget.
Committee members did not indicate when they plan to call another meeting.
A newly-recreated Opelousas Parks And Recreation Committee whose authority includes financial matters related to both parks, has not met since its inception several months ago.
Here’s a snapshot of the requests from the key departments:
POLICE DEPARTMENT: 48 employees (33 officers) Budget request is $5.75 million after projecting to end 2025-26 with $5.835 million spent. Three hundred twenty-five thousand is for vehicle leases. Overtime this year has been about $500,000.
RECREATION: This will presumably come from the general fund. The request is $128,100. The fund is ending the year with $165,350. However the original budget was adopted at $108,298. Walter Guillory has been given $8,632 this year.
PARKS DEPARTMENT: There is a big jump in parks spending from the general fund. Next year the park wants $1.32 million after projecting to end 2025-26 at $1.142 million. Unspecified improvement costs ($75,000) and a capital outlay project-pickleball courts project ($194,244) and community center are also in the budget separately as is $27,040 for Guillory, whose role with the parks is unspecified..
TOURISM: The city expects to spend $321,000 next year for tourism after spending $205,319 last year.
MUSEUM: The Opelousas Museum wants $154,000 after showing a year-ending budget of $155,395.
STREETS: This department wants $1,856 million after projecting to end the year at $2.21 million. Street department salaries are expected to cost the city $557,815 along with $130,461 in overtime.
WATER: Water Department costs are expected to escalate next year due mainly to funding a Louisiana Department of Health loan ($750,000) and water meters ($617,699). Total funding for water next year is $6.79 million.
SEWERS: The department, like water, has been providing revenue for the city all year. Capital outlay projects have been funded mainly through grants. The department wants $1.96 million next year after projecting expenses at $1.55 million in 2025-26.
PLANNING: Major costs for this department next year include $36,000 for the city attorney, $65,00 auditors, $$18,00 for engineers, $52,133 for professional services, $34,553 for an agricultural arena and $36,685 for the civic center.
FIRE: The department wants $5.231 in 2026-27, which is more than the $4.35 million budgeted expense last year. Augmenting the request is $405,000 for a truck lease.
CODE ENFORCEMENT: The year-end budget for 2025-26 is $631,418. The department is asking for $706,600. Salary requests are $336,000 for next year. Another key cost is $48,947 for inspectors fees.
