Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

VIDALIA, La. — The Concordia Parish Police Jury during its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday adopted millage rates for the fiscal year 2025-2026 tax levies, which have not increased from the prior year.

The rates are as follows: general alimony, 2.27 mils; library, 8.25 mils; health unit, 1.77 mils; drainage work, buildings and facilities, 9.80 mils; and the Council on Aging, 3.92 mils.

There were no public comments on any of the agenda items, including the proposed millage rates during Monday’s meeting.

The police jury also decided to reappoint Jim Graves and Willie Fred Marsalis to another six-year term on the hospital board after deciding to table doing so at the last board meeting in April.

Police Juror Genesia Allen made the motion to accept their reappointment, which was seconded by Kenny Simpson and passed unanimously with all police jury members present on Monday.

Police Juror Maurice Bachus clarified that the decision to table their reappointment at the last board meeting was not because any of the police jury members were against Graves and Marsalis’ reappointment.

“We apologize for giving you all the scare. The thing is, all these different committees send in their appointees without giving us the chance to review applications,” he said.

Going forward, the police jury decided in April that it would have police jury subcommittee members review all the applicants for the board positions before bringing their recommendation to the entire police jury board for approval.

Allen recognized hospital board representatives who came to the meeting.

“We’ve got some wonderful things going on at the hospital and some big projects coming,” Graves said. “I’d like to invite all of you out one day to take a look at what we have. It’s wonderful. We have as good a facility as anywhere.”

In other matters, the police jury discussed purchasing a front-end loader truck using LGAP funds to clean out heavy trees, tree limbs and debris from drainage ditches. Road superintendent Tony Guillory said the equipment could cost anywhere from $100,000 to $130,000.