Copyright Baton Rouge Advocate
The East Feliciana Parish Police Jury wrote the final chapter Nov. 3 in a failed bid to bolster the jury’s general fund finances, but accepted a one-time infusion of cash from state coffers. In a special Oct. 11 election, voters turned down the Police Jury’s attempt to redistribute proceeds from a property tax that funds the Health Unit, general fund and road and bridge fund. According to the official election proclamation jurors approved in their regular monthly meeting, 676 voters favored the proposition on the special election ballot, while 756 opposed it. Turnout for the election was only 10.5 percent of the parish’s eligible voters, and in two of the parish’s 23 precincts no one showed up to cast a ballot. The jury had hoped voters would allow them to use surplus revenues from a 3-mill property tax that funds the Health Unit for any legitimate purpose, instead of splitting the surpluses on a 90-10 basis between the road and bridge fund and the general fund, respectively, as the last renewal proposition requires. Jurors said the general fund needs more revenue to avoid cuts to services and agencies the jury supports but is not required by law to do so. At one time, the surpluses were split 50-50 between the two funds. In a separate motion, the jury voted to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the state Treasury Department to accept a legislative appropriation of $100,000 that was included in a spending bill the Legislature approved earlier this year. A number of other East Feliciana agencies and municipalities also received cash appropriations from the Legislature. The money will help offset costs for the special election, which were estimated at more than $37,000 prior to the vote. Despite the Oct. 11 setback, the jury still has not given up on the idea of changing the way in which the tax is spent, having had recent discussions on calling another election on the question. No action has been taken, however. On another matter, Greg Phares, of Clinton, thanked the jury for supporting him last year when the director of the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation District tried to have him removed from the agency’s board of directors. Gary Beard tried to persuade the jury in October 2024 that Gov. Jeff Landry wanted the jury to submit three names for his consideration as East Feliciana’s representative on the commission. Phares had challenged some of the decisions Beard made as director, and Beard claimed Phares was ineligible to serve because he did not live in the parish. The jury disagreed, however, and asked Landry to reappoint Phares as its representative. Since then, the Legislature has disbanded the commission and given its duties of monitoring the area’s main groundwater aquifer to the state Department of Conservation and Energy. On Oct. 29, the state attorney general brought an indictment against Beard and Samuel Jason Hewitt, the owner of a company that supplied groundwater pumping meters and other equipment to the commission. Attorneys for the two denied the allegations, which included contract conspiracy in restraint of trade, monopolizing trade and malfeasance in office. Phares told the jury the charges mirror “exactly what I have been raising sand about since I got there.” “I’m here to thank you and tell you how much I appreciate you sticking by me,” Phares said. Phares has served as the chief sheriff’s deputy for East Feliciana Parish, but his law enforcement career includes service as Baton Rouge police chief, interim sheriff of East Baton Rouge Parish and an employee of the state Inspector General’s Office.
