ST. MARTINVILLE — The St. Martin Parish Council voted Tuesday night to continue allowing council members to have their group insurance subsidized through the parish government.

District 6 Councilman Brook Champagne had proposed an ordinance to allow council members to keep the parish group insurance, but only if they paid the full premium themselves.

Currently, Champagne said the parish provides approximately $1,240 per month for each of the three council members — District 1 Councilman Byron Fuselier, District 3 Councilwoman Tangie Narcisse, District 7 Councilman Vincent Alexander — who are on the plan.

The motion to amend the parish’s personnel rules failed in a 4-4 vote, with Fuselier, District 2 Councilwoman Carla JeanBatiste, Narcisse, and Alexander voting against the change. District 9 Councilman Daniel Richard was absent.

The council also approved two ad valorem tax exemption applications, one from Peppers Unlimited and another from the Louisiana Sugarcane Cooperative.

In his comments, Parish President Chester Cedars said that the parish tax revenues have so far managed to hold up through the coronavirus outbreak, actually exceeding some figures in year-over-year comparisons, attributing that to a change in shopping patterns.

“People are shopping closer to home,” he said.

“They aren’t going to Lafayette, and instead spending their money at home, and it shows.”

He also said, however, that even with the good news so far the administration would be using a very frugal eye in preparing for the next year’s budget.