Sabine Parish jury adopts amended 2024 budget, approves 2025 budget and several contracts; ordinance introduced for Bill Ebarb Road

The Sabine Parish Police Jury voted on multiple budget, contract and administrative items at its Jan. 15 meeting after a brief public hearing on the proposed 2025 budget drew no speakers.

The jury unanimously adopted an amended 2024 governmental-fund budget and approved the proposed 2025 budget after jurors discussed revenue/expenditure lines and interfund transfers. Jurors said the parish will rely in part on landfill-generated revenues and fund balances to cover non-recurring expenditures in 2024 and planned transfers for road districts in 2025.

The panel also approved administrative and contract items: it authorized check signatories for payroll and disbursements, awarded the 2025 roadside vegetation herbicide contract to Man Cove Vegetation Management Inc., and approved a contract with SCS Field Services to provide landfill operation, monitoring and testing services. The landfill contract call included a proposed annual cost of $120,200; county officials said the landfill operator (Gage) expects to assume that expense when production begins.

The jury authorized a transfer of $500,000 in sales-tax funds to cover January operations for a program identified in the minutes as True Hills. The motion to refer a number of financial items to the finance committee was used elsewhere in the meeting; the finance committee will produce more detailed cost estimates as requested by jurors.

Separately, the body introduced a local ordinance to establish a 15 miles-per-hour speed limit for Bill Ebarb Road in Road District 15/Ward 5; the ordinance was read and will be voted on at a later meeting scheduled in March. Jurors discussed signage and the effective date listed in the draft ordinance (March 1, 2025).

Votes at a glance - Adopt amended 2024 governmental fund budget — motion by Mister Ruffin, second by Mister Bruce; outcome: approved. - Approve proposed 2025 budget — motion by Mister Bison, second by Mister Eric; outcome: approved. - Authorize check signatories (Bill Weatherford, Ali Vines, William Ruffin, Ronnie Bison) — motion and second recorded; outcome: approved. - Award 2025 roadside vegetation herbicide contract to Man Cove Vegetation Management Inc. — motion by Bird, second by Bison; outcome: approved. - Approve contract with SCS Field Services for landfill gas monitoring and quarterly testing (annual proposal $120,200) — motion by Bison, second by Byrd; outcome: approved (jurors said landfill operator expected to assume cost going forward). - Transfer $500,000 from sales-tax funds for January operations (True Hills) — motion by Ruffin, second by Beau; outcome: approved. - Introduce ordinance to set 15 mph speed limit on Bill Ebarb Road (Road District 15/Ward 5) — reading introduced; vote scheduled later (ordinance effective date in draft: 2025-03-01).

Jurors said the landfill and prior-year fund balances are central to the parish’s ability to carry larger nonrecurring expenses and to fund road work. Secretary-Treasurer Bill Weatherford described new budgeting tools that let jurors view budget-to-actual line items earlier in the year. Several jurors asked finance staff to provide detailed recurring and fringe-cost estimates before committing to any long-term payroll obligations connected to grants or temporary hires.

The meeting opened with a public hearing on the proposed 2025 budget; no members of the public spoke at the hearing and the jury closed the hearing before moving on to the regular meeting.

The jury discussed additional routine agenda matters, planning commission vacancies, and committee assignments before adjourning.