As budget talks for the 2025 fiscal year begin in St. Mary Parish, Parish President Sam Jones gave an overview to the fiscal situation of the parish that one councilman called “the worst” introduction he had ever heard for the beginning of a budget discussion. 

The introductory letter to the budget, which usually comprises details of things like the deficit and revenues of the governing body, spent a portion of the time talking about his first year as parish president and the finances of the parish that was worse than he realized from the previous administration. 

“As I came into office I knew the finances were terribly short and it quickly became clear to me that this was worse than I realized,” Jones said. “The deficit was at least $3 million, on top of that there was a huge borrowed debt of over $35 million.”

Jones also discussed his time as a state legislator when he would offer to work with parish government and was repeatedly turned down when the opportunity for projects presented themselves. 

The parish president also discussed the effects of the recent hurricane in the parish and the state of the water pumps in Morgan City, which he announced would be eligible for $10 to $20 million from the Coastal Protection Restoration Authority. 

Jones said he has spent extra time this year working in Baton Rouge and with Congressman Clay Higgins for the potential of future opportunities and thanked the parish council and other representatives for the work done so far in repairing the state of parish finances. 

Councilman Craig Mathews, responding to the introduction, said the document sounded more like a resume or a professional profile than a budget letter. 

“Ninety percent of what we heard had nothing to do with the parish budget,” Mathews said. “This in my opinion is the worst introduction to a projected budget instrument that I have ever witnessed. I am taken aback at all the attacks I have heard. If we’re going to fix our financial problems we’re going to have to get past all this personal innuendo.”

Jones said he didn’t even understand the criticism, and the letter was by and large positive. 

“We’ve fixed a lot of problems that we didn’t even know we had, I don’t know if anybody knew the problems that were there. When the money is there and we don’t take it, that’s dumb,” Jones said. 

“I don’t refute any of the things you said we need to address,” Mathews said. “Ninety percent of what you put in your letter to the council is irrelevant to the combined budgets.”

Jones said it was important to the people of the parish, with Mathews saying it was not an appropriate way to begin budget talks.

“Well this will be the first realistic budget we’ve had in a while,” Jones said.