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The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury's Budget Committee heard a presentation of the 2021 proposed annual budget at its Thursday, Nov. 19 meeting.
The proposed 2021 budget is $397.9 million, which is an increase of 54 percent from 2020’s budget of $258.5 million. The increase is attributed entirely to the estimated cash outlay for disaster recovery costs in 2021. The vast majority of the recovery costs will be reimbursed by insurance or FEMA.
Citing the economic effects of COVID-19 and then the devastation of the 2020 hurricanes, Parish Administrator Bryan C. Beam said 2020 will go down in history "As one of the most consequential years in the history of Calcasieu Parish, but unfortunately not in a positive sense," he said. "The parish has been literally and figuratively 'beaten up.'"
Property tax revenues are projected to increase by 4.6 percent in 2019 and sales tax revenues are anticipated to increase by 10.3 percent. The staff anticipates that gaming revenue levels may decrease by 1.4 percent in 2019.
The operating portion of the budget is an 8 percent decrease over 2020.
To view the proposed budget presentation, click HERE.
To see the proposed 2021 budget document, click HERE(NOTE: This is a large document and it may take a few minutes for it to load).
See the Budget Committee meeting below:
There will be a public hearing on this proposed budget on Dec. 3. The full Police Jury will vote on it at its Dec. 17 regular meeting.
