Police Jury creates parish coastal trust fund, seeds it with $250,000 from offshore lease revenue

The Cameron Parish Police Jury voted on Dec. 11 to establish a parish coastal trust fund intended to finance coastal protection and gravity‑drainage projects.

Sam, a juror who proposed the idea, described the fund as a separate account to avoid “money grabbing” from the general fund when large infrastructure or emergency projects arise. He proposed seeding the fund with a $250,000 startup allocation from offshore lease revenue and discussed options for future recurring contributions — for example, a flat annual transfer or a percentage of offshore lease receipts or occupational license receipts.

Staff explained legal options: the jury can establish an internal policy directing staff to transfer funds, or it can place a parish‑wide proposition before voters to authorize a tax or dedicated millage. Jurors discussed special service taxing districts and parish taxing mechanisms as alternatives for long‑term dedicated revenue, and cautioned that the next jury could change internal policies; a ballot proposition would give longer‑term constraints.

After discussion the jury moved the measure, which was seconded by jurors on the floor, and approved the trust fund creation by voice vote. The motion described the fund’s purpose for coastal projects limited to gravity drainage and flood protection and identified offshore lease money as the initial source of seed funding.

Jurors asked staff to prepare the account setup and implement the initial transfer; staff said future funding and governance details could be refined by policy or through a ballot measure if the jury later chooses that route.