Residents in Eunice are frustrated over delays in trash pickup, but the mayor says it's not the city's fault.
Mayor Scott Fontenot says for years, the city has been forced to send city workers to collect trash, a job that should have been done by contractors with the parish Solid Waste Commission.
There is a .8% sales tax in the parish dedicated to funding these services that Fontenot says haven't been provided since at least 2012.
"This is a problem that has been going on for quite some time, and it's really taking away my city crews from doing necessary work, such as drainage and roads, grass cutting, and other services that our citizens expect us to provide," the mayor explained.
At a recent meeting of the city's Board of Aldermen, the executive director of the St. Landry Parish Solid Waste Commission said he, "make[s] no excuses and accept all criticism for the issues at hand, but surely you can see that the year 2020 has been hard on all entities. I'm deeply sorry that the city of Eunice feels that it has not received its share of the services the tax pays for, but I assure you that myself and my staff have not and will not push any responsibility aside."
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