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VIDALIA, La. — The Concordia Parish Police Jury on Monday heard several concerns raised about the quality of parish roads.

Charlie Blaney, a resident of the parish, addressed the jury about the road conditions, citing no road in particular but all of the parish roads.

“Before I came here, I drove all over the neighborhood down between here and the airport. I drove on Airport Road and DA Biglane going out to 134. And I will tell you that if I were a big rich man who flew in with an airplane and got out the airplane and rode around from that road, I’d get back in that airplane and I wouldn’t spend any money in Concordia Parish,” Blaney said.

According to Blaney, not all of the concerning roads are parish roads, but almost all of the roads in the parish are a concern, he said, adding, “There has got to be somebody in Baton Rouge or somewhere we can talk to about it because it’s a very sad situation.”

His chief concern about the roads is poor drainage, he said, adding some “hold water like a swimming pool” whenever there is a heavy rain.

The police jury responded by saying roads were being examined.

Road Superintendent Tony Guillory made the request Monday for a $53,467 chemical that can be added to a mix to make a hard concrete-like substance for road repairs.

It’s better that the Police Jury make the purchase now than wait until after January, Guillory said, adding the cost for the chemical “is going up.”

The police jury also approved its 2025 fiscal year budget on Monday and committed its remaining American Rescue Plan Act and State and Local Fiscal Recovery funds, which must be committed no later than Dec. 31.

The police jury budgeted $150,000 of the ARPA Funds and SLFRF for improvements for Lake St. John Waterworks, $300,000 for Monterey Rural Water System, $300,000 for Concordia Waterworks, $400,000 for Concordia Parish Sewer District.

The police jury also discussed the 2025 holiday meeting schedule. At the request of Police Juror Kenny Simpson, approval of the holiday schedule was tabled so that the personnel committee could review it and address the need for better coordination of holiday and vacation times to avoid work disruptions.

“The parish doesn’t shut down,” Simpson said. “We’re behind already. We need to be working.”