FRANKLIN – Facing more than a $2.5 million shortfall, the St. Mary Parish Council learned Wednesday, while mulling over $400,000 in cuts to programs like medical transportation and elderly meals, that the Parish 911 Office has $1 million in its coffers.

Edward Smith, chairman of the St Mary 911 Communications Board, joined other community members in expressing their concerns to the council, about the potential of 25 to 50 percent cuts to their budget.

However, Smith complained about the administration requesting $800 a month in rent to the parish, for the use of their offices in a shared building, also occupied by the parish health unit and juvenile court offices.

“Why do we have to pay rent when the other two agencies do not,” Smith asked.

“Yes, we do have money, but I don’t think it is fair for us to give it back.”

Jean Paul Bourg, the Parish Chief Administrative Officer, told Smith, that the parish does not have reserves.

“We’re literally on the brink of running out of money, and it’s pretty upsetting that you come here to argue about paying $800 a month, when we may have to cut back on payroll, and possibly layoff employees,” Bourg said.

“Perhaps if you owned your own building, you would have to spend some of those dollars on the operations and maintenance of it; but we do that,” Bourg said.

The CAO further explained that the parish gives the state the offices for the parish health unit, however the state operates and staffs the office on their own nickel.

Also, regarding the juvenile court, the parish is responsible for some of the operations with the office, because of the unincorporated areas in East St Mary Parish.

St Mary Parish Councilman David Smith said, “just because an agency has been frugal with its spending, doesn’t mean they can afford this budget items, or cuts to their budget.”

Ed Smith explained the money is not just in one account, but several. He said the agency’s equipment is very expensive, and they need big dollars to purchase advanced communication tools when needed.

“We know we have enough money to maintain operations for a longtime, in the event something would happen to the economy, but this will allow us not have to ask the parish council for any kind of help,” Smith said.

Bourg insisted the 911 Board look at the money as not rent, but an investment in the building.

“But $9,600 a year isn’t going to save you,” Smith argued.

Councilman At-Large Dean Adams questioned Smith on how the 911 Board is funded, and Smith said the board gets its revenue from the 911 tax on cell phones and landlines in the parish.

Also in the audience, was Almetra J Franklin who spoke to the council over the proposed budget cuts to her agency.

Franklin is the CEO of the St Mary Community Action Agency, which provides 22 programs throughout the parish including bus transportation for the elderly, and twice a month senior lunch feedings.

“You can’t balance the budget on the backs of the people,” she said.

One of the agency’s board members, Wendell Bogan, said, “Our clients are everyone from infants to the grave and everyone in between. We operate 22 programs.”

The St Mary Parish Council first learned of the budget shortfall in January, when Parish President Sam Jones took office. Jones succeeded David Hanagriff who was termed out.

During his first full council meeting, also the first for the newly elected council, Jones found the budget to be inflated with tax projection numbers instead of what he said were real, actual numbers.

“No one could answer me on what was real money,” he said at the time.

In disbelief, a majority of the council began bickering with Jones, over his attack on the budget and to former Parish President David Hanagriff.

At the council’s second full meeting of the year, Jones presented Baldwin Alderman Marion Newton as a nominee for a new Parish Chief Administrative Officer, which is also allowable for him to do under the Parish Charter.

However, he was chastised by the parish council for not wanting to work with the current CAO Jean Paul Bourg, who had a little more than a year under his belt in the job, and for keeping Bourg in limbo as to whether or not he would have one.

Jones however, explained that he moved into the job with no transition or help from Hanagriff, and had questions that could not be answered, and he needed assured help from someone he knew. And according to the charter, he was allowed to appoint a new CAO.

Still, the council voted against Newton.

It should be noted that at that time, Jones believed Bourg had a part in what he referred to as the inflatable budget, but recently apologized publicly for being mistaken, and backed Bourg’s claim that he had nothing to do with preparing the mathematical balloon.

However, earlier this month, Bourg turned in a three week notice, citing that he found a job that would offer better opportunities, even though Jones has tried more than once to get Bourg to stay and remain as CAO.

Nonetheless, tirades over the budget, the pitch for Newton, and Bourg’s job and later resignation, has created a rift between the administration and most of the council and each other, which continues to this day.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Councilman Rev. Craig Mathews and five others said Jones should appoint Parish Director of Finance Paul Governale, as the council’s Interim CEO, until he finds a permanent replacement for Bourg.

Jones said he had no problems with Governale in the seat, but had to meet with him further about the temporary transition.

Governale told the council he was a team player, but wants to return to his job when a permanent CAO is found.

Mathews told Jones, “One thing you’re not going to do is operate the office on your own. It’s against the charter.”

Jones replied, “but I still sign all checks.”

Another example of the government malaise on Wednesday, was when Council Chairman Gwen Hidalgo indirectly charged Councilman Dr. Kristi Prejeant-Rink of meeting with Jones and Parish Sheriff Gary Driskell for hours, to remove a security detail that has occurred during council meeting since 2017.

Hidalgo said during the meeting that she wanted to restore the detail because the climate in today’s world is just unsafe, and she said the sheriff told her it would only cost the council $150 a month.

But Rink said she and Jones never agreed that the detail should be removed.

“What I said was that voice irruptions from the audience should be handled by the Council Chairman, who should be in control of the meeting.”

After the meeting, Rink explained that her discussions with Jones and Driskell were over a feasibility study on building a female jail next to the present jail for men, located on La. Hwy 90 in Centerville.

“We have spent more than $1 million to house prisoners outside of St Mary Parish, since I have been on this council. We’ve got to do something,” Rink said.

“That’s what the three hour meeting was about, an additional jail, and not a security detail,” she said.