NewsLocal NewsIn Your Parish

Actions

Opelousas will operate on 50 percent of last years budget

Posted at 10:28 PM, Aug 28, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-28 23:28:58-04

With another 3-3 vote, the Opelousas city council failed to adopt a budget.

On September 1st, the city will start operating on 50 percent of last years budget until a budget is passed. Tensions ran high at Tuesday nights meeting.

Opelousas resident Dwayne Broussard spoke at the meeting. “You are asking the citizens to sit back in the cut and watch political ploys and political games,” Broussard said.

Council members said in the past they were unclear on some parts of the budget and the current state of the city. Alderman Tyrone Glover says he requested public records over a week ago to help him get a better understanding of the numbers. He said he is still waiting on the documents. Glover found out at Tuesday’s meeting that he was not provided with his documents because of technical issues.

Mayor Reginald Tatum says the proposed budget is balanced and has been approved by the state legislative auditor and not passing the budget is hurting the city.

“Now that we are going to be at 50 percent we are going to have to cut down on some of the projects we had planned to do, and heaven forbid jobs, but it is going to stop us from hiring the people we need to hire,” Tatum said.

Tatum says he will continue to present the budget at council meetings until it is passed.