Who will get nod for IPC D2 seat?

The Iberia Parish Council will hold its second hearing Monday night on the proposed 2020 operating budget for the parish.

Of particular interest this week will be the parish’s Royalty Fund, which has been decimated since the decline in the oil and gas market across the region. Prior to 2015, the fund served as a catch-all funding source for road maintenance and other projects. With the drastic decline in energy sector revenue, the parish has had to find other methods of funding road repairs — or defer that maintenance until funds can be found.

The 80-percent drop in oilfield revenue to the parish over the last four years has led to cuts across the budget, including a decrease in personnel and a cutback on purchases of some equipment. An attempt to pass a road maintenance tax to make up for the decline failed to pass last fall.

The council has scheduled four meetings in October to go over the individual funds that make up the overall budget. This week’s list includes:

• the parish‘s Rabies Control Fund,

• the Iberia Parish Mosquito Abatement District Fund, which is supported through its own tax,

• the Iberia Parish Tourist Commission Fund, which collects part of its operating revenue from hotel taxes,

• the Communications District Fund, partially funded through a surcharge on cell phones in the parish,

• the Health Unit Maintenance Fund,

• the Economic Development District No. 1, funded through a tax in the parish’s TIF district along U/S/ 90,

• the Criminal Justice Facility Fund,

• the Public Buildings Maintenance Fund,

• the Royalty Fund, and

• the Five-year Capital Improvement Budget.

The Iberia Parish Council will hold its special budget meeting at 6 p.m. in the parish council meeting room on the fourth floor of the Iberia Parish Courthouse, 300 Iberia St.