[StBernard] St. Bernard council OKs 2009 budget

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard council OKs 2009 budget
by Chris Kirkham, The Times-Picayune 
Wednesday December 03, 2008, 6:11 PM
The St. Bernard Parish Council has approved a $41.6 million spending plan
for 2009 that cuts overall spending from this year and relies heavily on
federal disaster loan money from Hurricane Gustav to pay for basic
operations. 


The budget contains raises for all employees, including firefighters, but
calls for spending cuts in most departments, especially recreation and
tourism. St. Bernard will continue a hiring freeze into 2009. The parish has
been able to continue its services the past three years because of a series
of community disaster loans issued by FEMA after Hurricanes Katrina and
Gustav. This year's loan of $5 million represents nearly 15 percent of the
parish's operating revenue, and will go primarily to the fire department and
garbage expenses. 

In a budget message to the council, Parish President Craig Taffaro said a
similar loan cannot be expected next year. 

"It is imperative that the Parish Council and administration explore revenue
alternatives or reduce the package of services offered in the current budget
in preparation for (2010)," he wrote. 

For 2008, the parish used more than $8 million in community disaster loan
money from Katrina for parish government administration, the fire department
and garbage disposal. 

More than $3.6 million in disaster loan money went toward paying off garbage
costs of $7.5 million in 2008. The higher-than-usual costs were related to
large amounts of debris that came through a parish-owned waste transfer
station operated by SDT Waste & Debris Services. 

The council and Taffaro's administration are still negotiating a potential
settlement on landfill expenses for which St. Bernard may not have been
responsible. Garbage costs are expected to be $5 million in 2009, after SDT
has largely abandoned the transfer station, but the parish will still
require an infusion of $1.2 million in disaster loan cash to cover costs. 

The budget was crafted without including two fees passed earlier this year
by the council: a $20-per-household garbage fee and a $1-per-household
mosquito control fee. Both of those fees were nixed by the council in
approving the budget Tuesday night. 

The council approved the garbage fee this summer based on much higher
projections for garbage costs in 2009, because of the high landfill costs
associated with the SDT transfer station. 

Council Chairman Wayne Landry has criticized Taffaro for pushing for the
garbage fee after River Birch landfill executives informed him of the
irregularities in landfill costs in January. He also said the parish's
charter says new fees must be submitted to the voters for approval. 

"I feel that we need to do it the right way and if we're going impose --
whether $1 or $10,000 -- it needs to go to a vote of the people," Landry
said Tuesday after the garbage fee was rescinded. 

Taffaro pointed out in the report that the garbage budget still suffers from
a deficit of more than $1 million, and that the council must explore new
ways to generate revenue in the coming year. 

"If that means we have to get it on a ballot, then I think we have to get it
on a ballot," Taffaro said Wednesday. "We're still over $1 million short of
what the tax revenues generate to cover that cost." 

Next year's budget anticipates a $2 million increase in sales tax revenue to
$17 million. The spending plan includes raises for all employees, including
increasing the minimum hourly pay from $6 to $9, and increasing the minimum
pay for firefighters from $6.95 to $8.45 per hour. That raise does not
include $4.25 per hour state supplemental pay after the first year of
service. 

The largest increases in spending from the previous year come in the Fire
Department, economic development and community development. 

. . . . . . . 

Chris Kirkham can be reached at ckirkham at timespicayune.com or 504.826.3321.