New Iberia council backs broad capital-outlay priorities and moves to accept Sugar Cane Festival site if parish transfers it

New Iberia City Council members on Wednesday approved a list of 2025–26 capital outlay priorities intended to leverage local matching funds for roads, drainage and economic development and introduced an ordinance that would allow the city to accept the Sugar Cane Festival building and adjacent park property if Iberia Parish approves a transfer.

Council members said the capital-outlay package is intended to increase the total funding the city can pursue from the state: "Why wouldn't we take $2,000,000 and turn it into 6?" Mayor DeCourte said, summing the administration's approach of using local match to win larger state awards. The council set a public hearing for the ordinance to accept the festival building for Oct. 15, 2024.

The priority list sent to state officials includes a $6 million roads request backed by a $2 million local match, a drainage package intended to turn $1 million in local funds into approximately $3 million in projects, and an economic development plan centered on the Hopkins Street parcel donated by Bill Dore. Dore's donation—which the mayor…