News

St. Martinville – If there is a single issue that has dominated recent council meetings here, it has to be the electrical problems at the Evangeline Mobile Home Park. More than half of the lengthy Nov. 18 meeting was spent debating the issue.
Park owner Mark Brignac is convinced that the city is responsible for the entire cost of upgrading the outdated electric service there. He also contends that he is the victim of a vendetta against him by Councilman Craig Prosper.

The city council here has voted to end the $800 allowance being paid to Mayor Melinda Mitchell for the use of her own vehicle for city business.
During a special meeting on Nov. 13, the allowance was cancelled at Mitchell’s request. After taking office in July 2018, Mitchell requested the monthly payment rather than using a vehicle provided by the city, which likely would have been a nearly new pickup truck that was used by Mayor Thomas Nelson while he was in office.
Mitchell has been driving her own Mercedes car while on city business.

Auditor Russell Champagne has delivered the city an “unmodified” or clean audit report for the 2018/2019 fiscal year.
At the Nov. 12 council meeting, Mayor Ricky Calais and council members were briefed on the report’s positive findings for the fiscal year that ended June 30.
Champagne described the city’s financial position as sound.
Cash reserves were somewhat reduced, but that was offset by an increase in the value of fixed public assets, reflecting the fact that city funds have been spent on needed infrastructure projects.