Jones: Some local capital outlay projects were saved

State Rep. Sam Jones reported to the Franklin City Council the struggles—and small victories—of three legislative sessions this year.
“We had a $900 million deficit in the fiscal year that ended two weeks ago,” Jones (Dist. 50) said. “I remember when I was mayor and (incumbent Mayor Raymond Harris Jr.) was the chief financial officer how we would wring our hands for $90,000. Where would we find that, juggle this and that, pay the bills.”
Jones said the legislature and governor “closed most of the gap” but then there was a $2 billion deficit in the current budget. “I think we ended up $200-300 million short,” he said. He said the TOPS education funding wasn’t fully funded, and he voted against that. “There’s some hope that there’ll be some money to fully fund it in the spring, but we can’t plan on that, we have to plan for the worst.”
Capital outlay funding saw its own problems, Jones said. “The former governor had commitments for $1.3 billion in cash capital outlay dollars. This year, we can only bond $320 million. There’s a billion dollar shortfall, and even over the next four years...maybe only $750 million” can be bonded, Jones said.
Locally, Jones said capital outlay projects that will be completed include a portion of La. 87 past the Oaklawn Bridge to be overlaid in January; the bridge itself will be let for bids in August; and the j-turns in the Patterson area on US 90 are set to be bid in September.
Jones said the overpass at Northwest Boulevard and US 90 in Franklin has been let for bids, and will be repaired at a cost of $3 million either at the end of 2016 or early 2017.
He said the interchange at Sorrell is a $53 million project. “We saved up for eight years to get that project, and that cash is in the bank for that project,” he said.
Continued renovation of Franklin City Hall as an archive for state officials from the area “will have to be managed to its conclusion,” Jones said.
The rebuild of Canal Street in Jeanerette is almost complete, he said. Rebuild of a portion of Chitimacha Trail and Flattown Road in Charenton are still on the list.
Jones said tourism funds that can’t be used for anything else, and since funds were not allocated for Caffery Park renovations, $35,000 was allocated from the tourism fun “because of the tournaments they do and the number of people they bring in it helps the economy here. It fit the criteria.”
He also swung $50,000 for finishing the renovation of the Teche Theater.
The Chitimacha Tribe’s cultural department will receive $15,000; Tour du Teche, $15,000; the Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival, $10,000; Franklin Harvest Moon Festival $5,000; Bayou Teche Wooden Boat Show, $10,000; Patterson Cypress Sawmill Festival, $10,000; Rhythms on the River, $10,000; Morgan City Eagle Expo, $5,000; Bassmasters fishing tournament, $10,000; Techeland Arts Council, $5,000; St. Mary Landmarks, $5,000; special events and advertising, $10,000; and through St. Mary Parish Government, Brittany’s Project has been funded, but he did not specify the amount.
St. Mary Council on Aging and Chez Hope were spared major cuts, Jones added.