By T. Scott Boatright
Money matters were primary orders of business as the Lincoln Parish Police Jury held its November meeting on Monday night in the LPPJ room inside the Lincoln Parish Courthouse.
During that meeting the LPPJ approved 2025 amended and 2026 proposed budgets for the Lincoln Parish Library, Humanitarian Enterprises of Lincoln Parish (H.E.L.P.) agency, the Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Police Jury itself.
The LPPJ also passed a motion scheduling a public hearing for all of the budgets to be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 9 before its December meeting.
Those budgets will be formally adopted after that public hearing.
LPPJ Treasurer Michael Sutton pointed out that the travel budget for the LPPJ’s 2026 proposed is bumped up to $15,000 with the increase from 2025 coming because the 2026 National Association of County Officials convention will be held in New Orleans next year and the travel budget was increased because of expectations of strong representation at that gathering.
“The last time it was New Orleans the LPPJ was heavily involved,” Parish Administrator Courtney Hall said. “(NACO) tries to get all the parishes or counties in the state (the convention) is being held in.”
Sutton also pointed out that adding a financial manager for the parish also increased the 2025 amended budget with an increase also in store for 2026 because of that recently added position.
He also told the LPPJ that there is a deficit showing in the general fund of both the 2025 amended and 2026 proposed budgets.
“This is the first general fund deficit we’ve had since I started working here in 2021,” Sutton said. “That’s really due to several factors. One, professional services was up significantly. The other was interest from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) because we spent a lot of those dollars, so it stands to reason that revenue would go down. This will be something we’ll continue to keep an eye on and watch the trends moving forward.”
The LPPJ also approved the Finance Committee’s recommendation to grant renewals to Forth Insurance for property and general liability insurance and to Thomas & Farr Agency for group health insurance
In other business, the LPPJ authorized Police Jury President Glenn Scriber to execute 2026 Cooperative Endeavor Agreements with GIS and IT offices as well as setting a speed limit of 25 miles per hour on Parish Park Road and 35 mph on Mt. Harmony Church Road.
The LPPJ also approved three reappointments — Amanda Norris to the Lincoln Parish Library Board of Control, Gerald Jordan to the Convention and Visitors Bureau Board to represent Louisiana Tech University and Brandon A. Logan to represent Grambling State University on the CVB Board.
Also authorized was filing of an application with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development authorizing the LPPJ president to execute any documents relative to that application as well as granting H.E.L.P. Director Ronnie Dowling to execute a Fiscal Year 2026 Subgrant with the Louisiana Workforce Commission and to administer funds relative to that subgrant.
During his Lincoln Parish Park report, LPP Director James Ramsaur reminded that the 10th annual Light Up The Pines Christmas event at the park will begin before next month’s LPPJ meeting.
Light Up the Lights will be held on Dec. 4-6 and Dec. 11-13.
During the meeting the LPPJ also heard a presentation from United Way Resource Development Manager Sarah Parkman explaining what the agency does and what donated funding goes toward.
