Police Jury renames road to honor long-time resident nearing 110 years old

Published 2:05 pm Tuesday, May 23, 2023

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VIDALIA, La. — During its Monday meeting, the Police Jury voted unanimously to change the name of a rural road in Concordia Parish to honor a resident who would be turning 110 years old on Sept. 25.

Bayou Drive’s name will be Florence Matthews Drive honoring Florence Matthews, who has been a resident of that road since 1953 and alive since Sept. 25, 1913, according to Police Jury Member Maurice Bachus.

In her life thus far, Matthews has raised 12 children, including a set of triplets, officials said.

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Bachus moved to change the road name and his motion was seconded by Genesia Allen, who last year attended a joint-birthday celebration with Matthews and Leola Dixon, 102, at the Concordia Parish Council on Aging.

“It’s not every day that we have a citizen who is 110 years old,” Police Jury President Collin Edwards said. “I’d like to see the name posted where she will be able to see it.”

In other matters at Monday’s meeting, the Police Jury adopted its annual tax levy, which has not changed from this fiscal year.

Each year the police jury has the option to roll forward its millage rates, but this year decided not to do so.

The Police Jury levies four millages, including 2.27 mills for general alimony; 8.41 for the library; 1.8 mills for the public health unit fund; 10 mills for drainage work, buildings and facilities; and four mills for the Council on Aging.

Officials also voted to advertise for bids to repaint the Concordia Parish Courthouse and parking lot at 4001 Carter St.

After a quick meeting, the board went into an executive session to discuss legal strategies and returned to an open meeting, at which time they voted to amend the employee handbook and accepted a resignation from its payroll clerk.

The employee handbook was amended so that an employee who resigns and later decides to return to their previous position within six months can be rehired with the same benefits they had prior to leaving.

The Police Jury also voted unanimously to remove the payroll clerk position from its personnel list and outsource the work and amended its budget to reflect those changes.