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Residents urge council to restore programs, parks and services in District 1 amid concern about cuts
Summary
Two residents told the Terrebonne Parish Council on March 26 they and neighbors fear program cuts and park closures will harm vulnerable District 1 residents, particularly children and the elderly.
Several residents used the March 26 public-comment period to tell the Terrebonne Parish Council they are worried about program reductions that, they say, disproportionately affect Council District 1.
Cherry Wilmore, identified herself as a homeowner at 207 Audemars Street, told the council she heard “rumblings” in her neighborhood that services might be curtailed following an apparent interpersonal incident involving Councilman Pleasure and the parish president. Wilmore said residents worry the dispute could lead to program reductions or loss of services for a community she described as “already vulnerable,” and she urged both officials to “respect each other” and prioritize residents’ needs.
A second speaker, Sochia Harris (self-identified as a homeowner resident), criticized what she described as cuts or eliminations of programs that serve children and families in predominantly Black neighborhoods, naming a local tutoring program, an African American museum, Village East Community Center and recreation resources. Harris said those programs provide after-school supervision, cultural education and recreation facilities and that removing them would leave few alternatives for neighborhood children. She asked council members to visit the neighborhoods, compare park conditions across districts and explain what is being done with any savings the administration asserts it is pursuing.
Both residents contrasted the condition of parks in their neighborhoods with better-kept facilities in other districts and asked the council to restore basic amenities (playground equipment, benches, clear field markings) rather than remove or repurpose recreation areas. Harris told council members she will continue to attend meetings and speak publicly until she sees improvements.
Council members acknowledged the public comments during the meeting. No formal action or funding decisions were taken during the public-comment period; council members and staff suggested residents document specific service reductions and use the committee and public-hearing process to request restoration of programs and capital improvements.
