Avoyelles DA's Office eliminates two positions

It isn’t a “loan,” it just sounds like one.

The Avoyelles Parish District Attorney’s Office is facing a $35,000 deficit in the current budget, but has eliminated two positions to ensure the department can stay within its means next year.

“I am asking that you give the District Attorney’s Office $35,000 more this year and reduce the budget by $35,000 next year,” District Attorney Charles Riddle said at the jury’s Nov. 14 meeting.

Riddle said his $252,000 annual budget would be amended to $287,000 if the Police Jury approves the adjustment. He said he would submit a budget of $217,000 for 2018.

The $70,000 difference would be covered by the elimination of the two employee positions -- one eliminated in October and another to be eliminated at the end of this month.

Riddle said his office had a tough year, financially, due to a “serious problem in collections through the Criminal Court Fund.” He said his office usually receives about $70,000 through the Criminal Court Fund from fines and fees, but will receive only about $35,000 this year.

The savings from the two cuts will not be enough to avoid the current budget problem because they come too late in the year. However, he said the cuts will provide the necessary budget reduction over the course of a full year.

Jurors said they would consider the request and take action at the jury’s December meeting.

LIBRARY PLANS

In another matter, jurors discussed potential im-provements in the parish library system at the Nov. 9 committee meetings.

Avoyelles Library Director Theresa Thevenote said there are plans being considered to locate a library branch in Effie, to expand the branches in Bunkie and Cottonport and to relocate and expand the Mansura branch.

Thevenote said she has found that the library is not just a place for people to go to check out books.

It has even grown past being a place to read, study or do research on computers. “More and more people are coming to the main branch as a meeting place to hold their events,” she said. This opens up the library to a whole new set of customers to attend classes in topics such as yoga, art, etc. It is also a good place for informational meetings that might be of interest to the community.

“I will be working to expand that type of use in the four larger locations of Marksville, Bunkie, Cottonport and Simmesport,” she said. “We also hope to add laptops to all branches,” Thevenote added.

BUDGET IN 'GOOD SHAPE'

In another budget matter, jurors were told that all of the parish’s major operating accounts are “in good shape” as the fiscal year nears its end.

With the year 86 percent gone as of that meeting, expenditures were 3 percent in the black for the General Fund, 11 percent in both the Roads & Bridges and Solid Waste Funds, and 22 percent to the good in the Drainage Fund.

Jurors were told that all indications are that the Police Jury will end the budget year within its budget.

The jury will be considering a 3 percent raise for parish employees and will set the “minimum wage” for parish positions at $9 in the 2018 budget.