VIDALIA — Mirroring its 2016 budget, the Concordia Parish Police Jury approved for 2017 an approximately $2.8 million general fund budget Monday featuring a deficit of approximately $280,000.

The jury also passed its amended 2016 budget, which had begun the year projecting a $280,000 deficit and ended the year $55,816 in the black. Jury Secretary Treasurer Kevin Friloux said the goal is for the same to occur in 2017.

“We hope so,” Friloux said. “It is all going to depend mainly on the funding we get from the state.”

State funding is the largest difference between the revised 2016 budget and the adopted 2017 budget with the parish projecting a decrease of approximately $74,000. In total, the jury is projecting a $155,000 decrease in revenue.

Friloux said the severance tax from the state is the primary culprit. Every year, the state collets taxes on items including timber, oil and gas, and some of those tax collections are passed back to the local parish.

“We wound up about $60,000 short of what we had projected last year, and this year we only budgeted receiving $510,000,” Friloux said. “If the state sends us what it had been sending us previously, we stand to gain about $125,000.”

On the expenses side, an approximately $180,000 increase in expenses is budgeted. Some funds were cut, but the largest increase is approximately $190,000 from the courthouse and public buildings fund, which Friloux attributed to the courthouse renovation project. Budget cuts include emergency preparedness at approximately $13,313.

“We budgeted approximately $163,000 as our portion of the entire courthouse overlay project,” Friloux said. “That money is only going to be spent if we receive money in capital outlay. At this point in time, that is questionable at best.”

The jury has been pursuing an approximately $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office. The project would include the addition of an elevator at the courthouse and updating the courtroom, including the audience seating, carpet, security systems and lighting.

Friloux said the budget reflects a 3.5-percent increase for health insurance from Blue Cross/Blue Shield for the parish’s 30 employees.  Friloux said the hike would be approximately $8,600 per employee.

The jury did not give any raises to employees this year, Friloux said.

Anticipated revenues include:

• $611,140 in various taxes;
• $242,750 in occupational licenses, building permits and beer and liquor licenses;
• $545,725 in state funds;
• $266,689 in other revenue, including interest income, Black Lake lease income, state fire insurance rebates and prisoner care reimbursement.

Expenses include:

• $217,013 in legislative, which includes $177,600 for salary and benefits for police jurors;
• $461,293 in judicial, which includes $267,800 for the district attorney’s office and $58,800 for court personnel;
• $55,879 in registrar/elections;
• $689,960 in courthouse and public buildings, which includes $188,500 in utilities and $1643,785 for the courthouse generator/capital outlay court renovation;
• $165,500 in public safety, which includes $158,000 for prisoner care.

In other news, Jury President Jimmy Jernigan announced he would not serve as president in 2017.

“I have enjoyed coming over here (to the courthouse) — I usually come 3 days a week,” Jernigan said. “And I will say this, Kevin does a good job. I can ask him to check on something, and it gets done. He takes care of the courthouse.”

Juror Jimmy Wilkinson nominated 2016’s vice present, Whest Shirley, to serve as president, and he was approved unanimously with Red Tiffee and Jerry Beatty absent.

Juror Joseph Parker nominated Wilkinson to serve as vice president and his selection passed unanimously.

“We have a good jury,” Jernigan said. “We don’t agree on everything, but we don’t get mad and throw fits.”

• Jernigan thanked the taxpayers for approving a 10-mill tax renewal for construction, maintaining public buildings and public drainage on Dec. 10.
• Monterey High School Principal Dena Hale was named to the Concordia Parish Recreation District No. 2. She replaces former school principal Ralph Simmons.
• Ray Skates and Jerry Stallings were reappointed to the Concordia Parish Airport Authority.