ST MARY POISED TO GET $19.6 million

The St. Mary Parish Council learned Wednesday that $10.6 million in federal hurricane-relief spending is on its way to the parish, and a second allocation of $8.7 million could follow soon after, to fund recovery projects in the areas of housing, infrastructure, business recovery and economic revitalization.

Parish Chief Administrative Officer Henry “Bo” LaGrange told the council that the money earmarked for St. Mary, $19.4 million in total, is part of the Louisiana Recovery Authority plan that state lawmakers earlier this month. It awaits final approval by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“We know that we’re going to receive the first allocation of $10.6 million shortly,” LaGrange said. “So in the next three to six months, we plan to come before you to get your help in identifying projects we can address.”

In other fiscal matters, the Council approved the issuing of $2.5 million in general obligation bonds for library improvements across the parish, excluding Morgan City, who maintains its own system.

The council agreed to incur the debt from Patterson State Bank and Iberia Bank of Lafayette, at a rate of 3.96 percent.

In a public hearing before the meeting, bond attorney Lonnie Bewley said the parish was in good shape to borrow the money, due to the parish recently being awarded an A rating, “which is important because it’s hard to get people excited about buying long-term bonds.”

In other business, the Council took under advisement a report from its St. Mary Parish Charter Review Commission, four major suggestions which range from how they do business, to their own salaries, and to the salary and role of the parish president.

Later, the Council will consider placing the changes before voters on a congressional ballot, which if done so, would take effect in 2012.

Charter Review Chairman Stan Beaubouef pitched the suggestions to the council.

The first is to require the Parish Council adhere to the Parish Charter more closely, in spending money not budgeted, by ordinance instead of resolution, allowing time for public input.

The committee cited Article II, paragraphs two through 11 of the charter, which states that any act which “appropriates funds and or adopts the operating budget and capital improvement budget for the parish government.”

The report states that the current practice of the St. Mary Parish Council, as well as those before them, is to consider and approve by resolution expenditures which are not budgeted.

The second suggestion is to prohibit any councilman or any at-large councilman from seeking an at-large member or individual council seat, once they have served for two consecutive terms in office. If passed, the charter change would stop a councilman from serving 12 or 16 years consecutively on the council, in either seat.

The third suggestion is to raise the pay of a single member district councilman from $450 to $800 monthly, and the at-large councilman pay from $800 to $1,000 montly. It also suggests that the salary of the parish president, which currently is a part-time job, be raised from an annual $12,000 to an annual $36,000.

The fourth suggestion is to change the job description and salary of St. Mary Parish President to full-time status, with an annual salary of $65,000.

The suggestion moves all direction of the parish, including operations, from the chief administrator to the parish president, and it would give the parish president the opportunity to hire whomever he would like to hold the chief administrator’s job, with a job description designed by the parish president.