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Terrebonne Parish committee discontinues recycling program, advances multiple budget adjustments and reviews internal service funds
Summary
Committee approved discontinuing the parish recycling program (8-0), introduced several 2025 budget amendments, and reviewed proposed 2026 budgets across recreation, utilities, sanitation and internal service funds while debating staffing, reimbursements and a 2% across‑the‑board raise request.
The Terrebonne Parish Budget & Finance Committee approved a set of budget items and a motion to discontinue the parish recycling program, and spent an extended portion of the meeting on the 2026 budget review for multiple departments.
Recycling program: Councilmember Mister Trosclair moved to discontinue the parish recycling program in the next budget and reallocate the resulting fund balance within the sanitation fund for equipment and vegetation needs. After discussion about contract details, tipping fees and whether material was actually recycled, the committee voted 8-0 in favor of the motion. Staff explained the recycling line will be closed out to the sanitation fund balance and any future use of those funds would come back to the council as a budget amendment.
During the discussion, staff and director Clay explained that Republic Recycling Foundation in Baton Rouge takes parish loads via Pelican under contract and that the parish receives a ticket showing tons dropped but cannot always verify final sorting and end use. Clay said tipping fees and transportation were significant contributors to cost; the meeting record cites a per‑ton tipping example of $160 to Republic versus about $30 at an alternate facility (River Birch) when transportation is excluded.
Fortify Homes data sharing: The committee approved authorizing the Parish President to enter a data‑sharing agreement with the Louisiana Department of Insurance through the Fortify Homes program. Jennifer Gervasi, who identified herself and said she works on a ramp program, testified that the data share would provide parish staff with names of people who applied to but did not get into the Fortify Homes lottery so the parish could target FEMA wind retrofit opportunities to eligible and interested households. "They're giving us the people who did not go through their program so that we might be able to serve them," Gervasi said.
Budget amendments and internal service funds: Miss Candice, presenting the budget, introduced an ordinance with multiple 5% adjustments required when a fund’s unfavorable variance exceeds state‑law thresholds. The committee reviewed adjustments including a $653,213 increase for the parish prisoner fund and smaller net adjustments across road lighting districts, the health unit fund and others.
Committee members examined internal service funds (IT/development/marketing, group insurance, risk management, fleet maintenance) and discussed staffing changes, salary reimbursements between funds, and a reported projected year‑end group insurance figure. The IT director described an internal billing system that tracks work by ticket and minute to allocate charges to other departments and said a forthcoming in‑house software project may reduce external vendor costs.
Compensation: Councilmembers asked staff to calculate the cost of a 2% across‑the‑board pay increase for all employees (explicitly excluding targeted raises already granted) and Miss Candice agreed to provide that figure by the end of the week.
Next steps: Staff committed to providing backup figures for contested line items and to correct a noted typo in the presentation materials. Several items introduced in committee include public hearings scheduled for Nov. 19, 2025, or require further council action to amend final budgets.
