Washington Moves Away From Debt
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
It was an unenviable task, as Dwight Landreneau agreed to accept a formal request to tackle the financial oblivion that seemed almost imminent for the Town of Washington.
Landreneau could easily have said no following a 2020 meeting when then Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards asked him to become the acting mayor for a town that was on the verge of a state takeover after recording several consecutive annual budget deficits.
“I was told by John Bel that it was either going to be me or the state was taking the town over. I decided that I would try to help out,” said Landreneau, who along with his family, grew up in the town whose national historic register designation has helped cultivate state and national tourism.
After five years of financial austerity, diplomatically handling the concerns of creditors and using volunteer efforts and financial assistance from state lawmakers, Landreneau said that an annual audit shows Washington has now paid off $750,000 of what was once outstanding debt.
Landreneau, a longtime state official, said it’s been a sometimes difficult journey to rectify the town’s finances.
“The situation when I came in as mayor was critical. We owed everyone. The town was in what you call exigency financially. There was no reason to believe (Washington) was in any shape to pay back what it owed and bring it back into state compliance,” Landreneau said on Thursday.
Landreneau said the hardest sell was convincing creditors that they would be paid.
“Many of the businesses owed were local vendors. We had the tire shops, the utility companies, gas companies, those that supplied fittings. It was just an array of people we knew and that we owed.
“Even if we wanted to pay them cash, we had to convince businesses to trust us and that we were paying our bills. We also couldn’t qualify for grants, at least for the first six months after I took over as mayor,” said Landreneau.
“I tell people all the time I was six feet five when I took this job. Now I’m five foot six,” said Landreneau.
Landreneau also took a salary cut, as did the members of the Town Council.
Another step towards financial resurrection included assembling a new town management group that included clerk Halli Polotzola, assistant Anne Jones and public works supervisor Jeremy Alfred.
Further help for paying down the debt, Landreneau said, came from local legislators who obtained state assistance funding despite the town’s financial struggles.
There were also town-sponsored garage sales, bar-b-que events and town residents who volunteered their time assisting with events.
Landreneau said that Washington has also received state help in obtaining $1 million for a new gas line and $765,000 to improve the town water tank.
Physically Landreneau noted that there have also been personal challenges.
Since becoming mayor Landreneau has dealt with a heart attack and back surgeries, but he says he wants to serve at least one more term.
At one time Washington was known as the speed trap capital of Louisiana, but Landreneau said the days of relying on interstate highway traffic citations as a major source of town revenue are over.
“Our cash flow situation is tight, but we have gotten four million in grants over the last few years. We still patrol I-49, but it’s now a matter of making sure everyone is obeying the law,” said Landreneau.
