By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

CONVENT – A 2013 budget for St. James Parish featuring much increased revenues and expenditures was introduced to the parish council Tuesday at its regular meeting in Convent.

Budgeted for 2012 is a revenue increase of nearly $14 million. Much of this extra revenue is expected to come from taxes from the current industrial construction boom in the parish.

Expenditures, likewise, are expected to rise by nearly one-third in 2013.

The total 2013 budget is estimated to be $64,110,000, which includes $58,086,200 in operating expenses and $5,505,700 of interfund transfers.

The parish expects to collect more than $24 million in tax revenue, two-thirds of which will come from property taxes. Property taxes are the parish’s single largest source of income.

According to Parish President Timmy Roussel, tax revenue could be even higher than what is budgeted if some proposed construction projects in the parish get off the ground.

As for expenditures, they are divided by function, and general government, public utilities and culture and recreation are the three largest. General government functions account for 22 percent of expenditures and public utilities represent 15 percent of expenditures.

The budget will be voted on by the council following a pair of public hearings that will take place on Nov. 21 in Vacherie and Dec. 5 in Convent.

At the end of his lengthy introduction of the budget, Roussel touted some of the accomplishments of his team in 2012, which included library and courthouse renovations, a new waste collection contract and the restart of recycling in the parish, the continued growth of St. James Parish as a regional industrial powerhouse, the opening of a bike path on the west bank levee and awards for technology use.

In other action, the council approved the appointment of Kenneth Guidry and Gayle Roussel to the Capital Resource Conservation and Development Council and the appointment of Patrick Rome to the District 3 Recreation Board.

The council also OK’d  a resolution requesting President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress to expedite funding and construction of a hurricane protection levee for St. James Parish.

Bonfire season officially began Tuesday as the council granted Roussel the power to sign a Christmas Bonfire Program agreement and Hold Harmless agreement with the Pontchartrain Levee District and the Lafourche Basin Levee District relating to Christmas bonfires. The agreement states that for an individual or group to construct a bonfire on the levee, they must first obtain a permit from the parish.

“This is actually a yearly thing that we do,” said Roussel.

Lastly, Sheriff Willy Martin addressed the council concerning property tax collections. He said tax notices are being sent out earlier this year to give residents a chance to get used to higher assessments. He said the Sheriff’s Office will also accept partial payments in November and December of this year.