Winn Parish Police Jury holds public hearing on Proposed 2025 Budget; no public comments

The Winn Parish Police Jury held a public hearing at 4:55 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in the Police Jury Meeting Room of the Parish Courthouse to receive oral and written comments on the Proposed 2025 Budget, President Frank McLaren said. "The Police Jury of the Parish of Winn... met for a Public Hearing... on Monday, December 16, 2024 at 4:55 p.m.," the meeting record states.

Mr. Kyle Potts moved to adopt the meeting agenda and Mr. Darrell Franks seconded; the minutes record a vote of "6 yeas, 0 nays, 0 absent, 0 abstained," and the agenda was adopted. President McLaren then read the notice required by the Local Louisiana Budget Act (R.S. 39:1305), including that "A copy of the Proposed 2025 Budget is available for public inspection in the Secretary Treasurer’s office from 8:00 o’clock a.m. to 4:30 o’clock p.m. each Monday through Friday." The notice also notes publication in the Winn Parish Enterprise on Dec. 4, 2024.

McLaren opened the floor for public comment; "No comments or questions were received from the public," the record says. The hearing was procedural: the record lists jurors present (President Frank McLaren, Vice President Deionne Carpenter, Phillip Evans, Stanley Garrett, Darrell Franks, Author Robinson and Kyle Potts) and notes that legal counsel Chris Nevils and Secretary/Treasurer Karen Tyler were present. The meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m. on a motion by Franks and second by Evans.

The minutes show a discrepancy between the number of jurors listed as present (seven) and the vote tally recorded on the agenda motion (six yeas); the record does not explain the difference. The Proposed 2025 Budget was available for inspection at the Secretary/Treasurer’s office and was scheduled to be adopted at the Regular Meeting of the Police Jury at 5:00 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2024.