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Gonzales council and administration clash over $680,000 payroll cut left in budget
Summary
Council members pressed administration over why a $680,000 cut to budgeted salaries the council says it approved still appears in the published budget; finance staff reported strong cash and investment balances and a year‑to‑date general fund surplus.
GONZALES, La. — Council members at a regularly scheduled Gonzales Mayor and City Council meeting pressed administration officials on why a $680,000 reduction to budgeted salaries that the council says it approved was not removed from the final budget documents.
Jacob, the staff member who delivered the finance report, told the council that the city’s investment accounts totaled $22.2 million and that total funds on hand as of April 30 were just shy of $30 million. He highlighted a year‑to‑date general fund surplus of roughly $1.6 million versus an originally budgeted $191,000 deficit and described sales‑tax collections running near budgeted expectations.
Council members said they had voted 5–0 to remove $680,000 from budgeted salaries at a prior meeting and asked why the math in the final budget still reflected that amount. Administration replied that the amendment specified only three line items and that those three changes were incorporated into the budget pages.
"There were only three line items that were addressed. Those changes were made. No other line items were requested to be amended, therefore none were," said Mr. Pete, an administration representative, in response to council questions about the missing reduction.
Council members repeatedly asked for clarification about how the amendment affected the overall totals and for the itemized pages to show the salary adjustments. Jacob stated that amended pages (labeled as budget 8A) were added to the packet and that the itemized salaries by department were included in those pages.
The exchange escalated into a broader argument about authority: council members said their role as the governing authority permits them to decide what goes into the budget, while administration and legal references were cited about limits on unilateral changes. Speakers on both sides referenced an Attorney General opinion during the back‑and‑forth.
Members of the council also raised unrelated allegations regarding mayoral conduct during the dispute, including claims about use of a city credit card and outside activities; the meeting record shows heated interruptions and calls for HR involvement. The mayor moved to end the discussion and said, "Now, I'm moving on. Thank you." The record does not show that the council voted further on the salary math during this meeting.
What happens next: Council members said the council will need to decide follow‑up steps; the finance staff said audit preparation is under way and that the administration will present monthly financial statements going forward.
