VIDALIA, La. — How are the Concordia Parish Police Jury and the Town of Vidalia splitting their part of the $1,670,467 cost of the Vidalia Canal project? That depends on whom you ask.

Rounded to the nearest dollar, the State of Louisiana is paying 70 percent of the cost, or $1,169,328. The police jury and Vidalia were to pick up the remaining 30 percent plus any cost overages.

Vidalia Controller Kenneth Davis maintains that several years ago, Concordia Parish agreed to pay 52 percent of the cost, or $260,593, if the town would pay 48 percent, or $240,547.

But in their meeting last Monday, jurors said they agreed to pay half the cost if Vidalia would pay half, for a cost of $250,570 each.

Juror Cathy Darden, who served as the jury’s Finance Committee chair through December, remembered that after she took office in 1993, Vidalia officials and the committee met to discuss splitting the cost.

&uot;It was clear that neither the jury nor the town could do the whole project by ourselves, so we agreed to split it 50/50,&uot;&160;Darden said Friday.

Davis remembers it differently. According to him, it was decided several years ago — before Mayor Hyram Copeland took office in March 1992 — that the jury would pay 52 percent and Vidalia would pay 48 percent.

Parish Engineer Bryant Hammett said Friday he plans to schedule a meeting with Vidalia and police jury representatives soon to settle the matter, although a date for that meeting has not yet been set. &uot;If bad comes to worse, we can always go back to the minutes and tape of the meeting where (the jury) discussed it and Vidalia’s council can do the same on their end,&uot;&160;Darden said. &uot;It’s going to have to be resolved one way or the other.&uot;

The Vidalia Canal project was started last year and involves widening the canal and lining part of it with concrete to aid water flow and prevent erosion. It will help alleviate flooding for more than 200 homes and 1,300 acres of farmland.

Jury President Charlie Blaney could not be reached for comment Friday.