INDReporter

LCG to tighten belt

by Walter Pierce

The mini austerity measures come as LCG looks for ways to avoid further tapping into its reserve fund.

Lafayette Consolidated Government department heads are being asked by the Durel administration to comb their budgets for savings as city-parish government plans to go on a diet for the next fiscal year that begins Nov. 1. Both The Daily Advertiser and The Advocate are reporting that City-Parish President Joey Durel plans to reduce the LCG budget for the 2012-2013 year by $5 million - less than 1 percent of local government's overall budget but an amount that could nonetheless pinch services to residents.

The mini austerity measures come as LCG looks for ways to avoid further tapping into its reserve fund, which The Advertiser reports was as high as $18.8 million two years ago but was tapped to the tune of $9.7 million last year. Generally, $7 million in reserve is considered a comfortable amount.

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