DeSoto Parish committee advances proposed 2025 general fund budget and approves festival grant cap

The DeSoto Parish Budget & Finance Committee voted to advance the proposed 2025 general fund budget and approved a set of grant allocations and policy guidelines for festival funding.

Miss Lilly, who presented the budget worksheet to the committee, said the projected beginning fund balance for 2025 is $12,885,452 and total projected revenues are $9,684,502. She called out key line items: ad valorem projected at $44,256,007.91; a reduced parish royalty fund projected near $247,636 due to industry conditions; proposed state grant revenues (LGAP and CWEF) estimated together at $750,000; and a federal Council on Aging grant to purchase a bus that increases that line to $286,712. On the expense side, the budget includes a proposed 2.5% cost‑of‑living adjustment for employees, increased travel/convention lines and a $200,000 contract allowance for nuisance‑abatement services.

Capital projects proposed for 2025 total about $1,695,455, including a Hoopla Park playground ($100,000), sports‑field backstops ($217,325), KCS city sewer work (total project cost $532,600; the jury was asked for $282,600 in 2025 after prior approvals), and a courthouse boiler project already approved in 2024. Miss Lilly noted LGAP and CWEF grants could offset portions of some projects and that grant applications are due in February.

Committee members questioned details and past actions, including a lengthy exchange about a proposed sports complex that some jurors said had been planned for years but not fully funded; the parish administrator said staff will act on specific jury votes. The committee also discussed the sources and limits of state support for certain salaries and emphasized the need for clearer line‑item breakdowns for building maintenance across the roughly 54 facilities the parish services.

On grants and community funding policy, a juror moved to set festival and parade awards at a maximum of $5,000 per event; the committee voted to advance that policy to the regular meeting, with the clarification that awards will match an applicant's request up to the cap (for example, a $3,500 request would receive $3,500). The committee then considered individual grant requests and voted to award a package of nongovernmental grants totaling approximately $91,600, including DeSoto Habilitation ($40,600), River City Festival (Logansport) $5,000, Juneteenth $5,000, Crew of Aquarius $3,500 and other festival/parade and community program allocations; a small number of members recorded abstentions or a single recorded 'nay' on one item as shown in committee proceedings.

A motion to approve the general fund budget for 2025 as presented was made, seconded and passed. Miss Lilly said staff will publish the proposed budget for a 10‑day public inspection period after a December special meeting and that the final ratification and adoption is scheduled for Dec. 16. The committee recorded a net decrease in fund balance of roughly $1,000,354.92 (estimated ending fund balance $11,531,004.51) after transfers noted in the presentation.

The committee meeting concluded with schedule instructions for the public hearing and final adoption process.