Tuesday's budget finalization could bring some discord to the council chamber, both via District 9 Councilman William Theriot...
The Lafayette City-Parish Council will finalize City-Parish President Joey Durel's proposed $543 million budget for fiscal year 2011-2012 on Tuesday night. The council will commence what could be a heated process following a vote on an ordinance for final adoption and after hearing two appeals of Planning Commission votes.
Tuesday's budget finalization could bring some discord to the council chamber, both via District 9 Councilman William Theriot, who has sponsored an amendment to deny funding to social and cultural non-governmental organizations. Theriot may also revisit the controversy of the Durel administration's one-year extension of Lafayette Consolidated Government's contract with RefFlex, the company that operates the red-light cameras and speed vans on city streets.
Durel exercised a clause in the four-year contract allowing for the extension; the contract, originally signed in 2007 before any of the current council members were in office, was scheduled to expire last summer. Theriot raised questions about the propriety of the extension during the Sept. 13 budget wrap-up meeting. In the interim, LCG attorney Mike Hebert has released an opinion that the administration acted within the rules of the charter in extending the contract. Theriot, however, told The Daily Advertiser he plans to offer an ordinance that would make contract renewals subject to council review.
To view a PDF of the budget, click here.