Council renews audit contract and introduces 2026 budget; finance committee recommended approval

The Tangipahoa Parish Council approved a three-year audit contract with James Lambert Riggs & Associates at the Oct. 14 meeting following a finance committee review. Paul Riggs, audit director at the firm, presented the proposal and said the firm completed the 2024 audit, which was the last year of a prior three-year contract.

Riggs said the firm is proposing a base audit fee increase to $65,000 per year (from a prior base that he described verbally as "$57.07 50" per year) for calendar years 2025–2027. He told the council the fee includes audit coverage for two major federal programs per year and that the firm proposes increasing the additional-per-federal-program review fee from $5,000 to $6,000 if required by auditors. He said the firm is not increasing fees for statewide agreed‑upon procedures or for preparing financial statements but provided a maximum figure for financial statement preparation services if the parish requests them.

The finance committee reviewed the proposal earlier in the day and recommended approval; the council then voted (roll-call) to renew the audit contract. Council members publicly praised finance and accounting staff; one council member thanked Missy and her staff for their work during the audit.

Councilors also introduced TP Ordinance 25-32, the operating and capital outlay budgets for fiscal year 2026, and set the public hearing for Dec. 8 at 5:30 p.m. The budget introduction followed earlier finance committee review and included capital outlay for road overlays and other projects, the council said.

Why it matters: Audit contracts and the budget calendar frame the parish’s fiscal oversight and spending for the coming year. The audit contract sets the external review and federal compliance workload and fees; the budget introduction begins the formal hearing and adoption process for FY2026 appropriations.