Avoyelles Police Jury narrowly adopts district attorney’s budget request

By a narrow 4-3 vote, the Avoyelles Police Jury approved “advancing” $35,000 from next year’s budget to avoid a deficit in the District Attorney’s Office. The DA’s Office will receive $35,000 less than the annual allotment in 2018.

More time was spent discussing this transaction than on any other part of the jury’s $9.1 million budget for 2018.

Jurors Marsha Wiley, Henry Moreau and Trent Clark -- the three newest members of the jury -- voted against the move. Jurors Mark Borrel, Kirby Roy, “Pop” Keller and Jury President Charles Jones voted in favor. Jurors John Earles and Glenn McKinley were absent. McKinley arrived later in the meeting.

Jones argued in favor of the budget adjustment, stressing that the two-year total allotment to the district attorney is the same as it would be if the jury did not approve it.

The Police Jury has allocated $252,670 to the district attorney for many years. Riddle said it is the same amount he received in 2003. Under the approved budget adjustments, the Police Jury’s allotment to the office is increased to $287,670 for this year and $217,670 in 2018.

Moreau said the transaction was a loan, regardless of what other word jurors chose to use. Jones and Riddle disagreed.

'DIVERSION' DOWN $100,000

Riddle said there are several sources of revenue that have declined over the past several years. The one that appears to most affect this year’s budget is an unexpected drop of about $100,000 in the DA’s “pre-trial diversion program.”

The Criminal Court Fund, mentioned during last month’s meeting, is about the same as it was in 2016, which was about $35,000 less than it was in 2015.

The “diversion” programs allow offenders guilty of certain non-violent crimes and traffic violations to avoid trial and conviction by completing programs aimed at rehabilitating the individual and keeping a criminal conviction off their record. Those participating in these programs pay a fee to the district attorney’s office. These programs have been criticized in some judicial districts around the state because it “robs” the courts of court costs because there is no trial in court.

Riddle has attempted to deflect such accusations by voluntarily contributing a portion of pre-trial diversion fees to the court and to defray increased costs for courthouse security.

Jurors pressed for answers on why the department was facing a deficit and whether Riddle had taken any remedial action prior to coming to the jury last month saying he needed $35,000 to avoid a deficit. Riddle reminded jurors that he had implemented a furlough program earlier this year in which every employee’s hours were cut by 10 percent, with a subsequent cut in pay.

He said he thought that would get the department back on track, but declining revenues left the office facing a year-end deficit.

One employee who left in October was not replaced and another who left in November will not be replaced, Riddle said. In addition, two assistant district attorneys who left this year will not be replaced, leaving Riddle with seven assistants.

Riddle said not replacing those positions will more than cover the reduction of $35,000 from the 2018 allocation from the Police Jury.

With the $35,000 advance, the DA’s Office 2017 budget was amended to show $1,597,668 in revenues and $1,597,487 in expenditures. The office is anticipating $1,562,668 in revenues and $1,527,487 in expenditures.

“Without this adjustment, my office will end the year with a deficit,” Riddle said.

As a point of historical perspective, the 2014 budget for the District Attorney’s Office showed $1,713,294 in revenues and $1,613,788 in expenditures -- leaving a $99,506 surplus.

In that year, the office reported receiving $88,157 from the Criminal Court Fund and $644,399 through “diversion” programs. That compares to an expected $35,275 from the Criminal Court Fund and anticipated $559,000 through pre-trial diversion programs in 2018.

CORONER'S BUDGET

In another budget matter, jurors forced Dr. L.J. Mayeux to settle for only a $2,400 increase in his Coroner’s Office budget, and not the $12,161 he had requested.

The coroner’s budget for 2017 is $99,207. Mayeux had requested an allocation of $111,368.

Mayeux asked for $100 more per month each for two senior assistant coroners, or $2,400. There are four assistant coroners.

Mayeux pointed out that the coroner’s office is on duty 24 hours a day, all year round -- including holidays. He also noted that only about 8 percent of the Coroner’s Office work deals with deceased individuals.

In addition to addressing autopsies for sudden deaths with no obvious cause of death, the coroner is involved in the gathering of evidence in other crimes. A growing area of the work time is in investigation of child abuse.

Mayeux had requested the remainder of the increase to hire a part-time clerk to convert all of his paper files to electronic files. He said the state is mandating that all records be electronic. He said it would take at least a year for a part-time worker to do that, and possibly two years.

The jury did not approve that request but indicated it could be reviewed by mid-year to see if the budget can withstand the additional allocation to the corner for that expense.