By Leonard Gray / L’Observateur / May 18, 1998

LUTCHER – Lutcher aldermen barely had a quorum to vote and approve something they have been haggling over for months.

With Floyd Marshall and Danny Manuel absent from the special town meeting Tuesday night, only Troas Poche, Patrick St. Pierre and C.C.Whitney Jr., were able to discuss and vote on the acceptance of a newbudget for the town.

The fiscal year ended April 30, so aldermen were already 12 days late approving a budget.

At first aldermen were skiddish about approving anything with only three present. “I think we need some input from the rest of the aldermen,” St.Pierre said.

“They knew there was a meeting and we have a quorum,” Mayor Elmore Trosclair said.

He advised aldermen to make a decision on the budget and suggest changes if they felt the need to do so.

Whitney suggested that the mayor’s recommended 5 percent pay raise to town employees be cut to 2.5 percent. “I find 5 percent is a bit high for atown that is going broke,” he said.

A motion to accept the change to the budget was made by Whitney, seconded by St. Pierre and passed 3-0.Poche wanted to cut the whole budget by 30 percent, but Trosclair and town attorney Wilbur Reynaud were unclear as to what part would be cut.

He replied that he wanted the expenditures cut, but they were still unclear as to what expenditures he wanted cut so St. Pierre made a motion to onlyspend eight months’ worth of a 12-month budget. This motion wasseconded by Whitney and passed 3-0.

Terms of the mayor and aldermen expire in eight months.

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