By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish President Natalie Robottom said her administration took a conservative approach in compiling the parish’s budget for the 2013 fiscal year. The spending plan was introduced at Tuesday’s Parish Council meeting in LaPlace.

Overall expenditures are expected to be $71.9 million for 2013, a roughly .1 percent decrease from 2012. General revenue is expected to be $71.2 million, but that will also include $157 million carried over from 2012 for a total of $228 million available in 2013.

Robottom said in her budget message that most of the budgeted numbers were derived prior to Hurricane Isaac, which caused severe flooding and other damage in St. John Parish nearly two months ago.

“Any effects from this storm are not reflected in our budgeted figures,” Robottom said in her message. “Additionally, any future economic conditions may affect the estimates of revenue, which determine the amount of monies available for spending.”

A summary of the budget shows a revenue increase of $832,000, or about 1.5 percent, in 2013. Robottom said the most significant increases come from service fees, which are up $900,000 thanks to adjustments of the consumer price index. She also said sales and use taxes are projected to increase by about $411,000, based on consumer spending habits in the parish.

Significant decreases include a 36 percent drop in state and federal grant revenues, because of federal cuts in weatherization-related programs and the removal of assistance for operating the parish airport. There is also an expected 8 percent drop in fines and forfeitures as the parish is ending a two-year push to get people to pay past-due amounts to the criminal court system. Most of those have now been paid in full, according to the budget summary.

Property taxes are expected to stay the same in 2013, but the parish Assessor’s Office is expecting to see taxable value to increase over the next few years as a series of industrial exemptions are set to expire.

The parish has increased spending on recreation by about 87 percent because of an increase in program offerings and equipment. Voters in the parish approved a rededication of property taxes in April to bolster the Recreation Department.

There will also be a $1.4 million increase in Public Utilities spending because of increased costs required to keep water distribution and wastewater systems operational.

The largest expenditure in the parish continues to be salaries, which will be up 2.4 percent to about $12.6 million. The parish spent about $12.3 million on salaries in 2012.

Economic Development spending is expected to be down 12 percent because of decreases in salary and benefits. Debt service will also be down about 7.5 percent, primarily as a result of refunding debt at lower interest rates.

Public hearings will begin next month. The council must approve and adopt the budget by Dec. 31.