by KAREN LAGRANGE COX
Josh Carlson, Lafayette Parish Council Member for District 3 and Chairman of the Parish Council, has provided the following list of accomplishments in Lafayette Parish and District 3 that have been made since 2020.
Financial
The parish has a better financial situation than at the beginning of 2020. At the beginning of 2020, Lafayette Parish had a reserve fund of $50,000. Due to smart spending habits, an increase in pro-business, encouragement of business growth, and an increased tax base, the parish now has $1 million in reserve.
Drainage
On a parish-wide basis, work on been done on the regional drainage plan; almost all channels in Lafayette Parish District 3 have been cleaned out and maintained.
District 3 has a record number of retention and detention ponds in Milton and Lafayette. Channel cleaning has been done in Broussard.
Roads & Ditches
The Parish has partnered with Youngsville and Broussard to fix roads. The parish is caught up on these roads and ahead on the reconstruction.
Three-hundred miles of roadside ditches have been cleaned out within the entire parish.
Fire Protection
A significant increase in investment in Fire Protection has been made for all of Lafayette Parish.
Without increasing property tax, extra funding has been provided for fire protection for all of Lafayette Parish.
Water capacity has been increased in the north and south water districts.
New water lines have been run with new fire hydrants installed in the north and south water districts.
New tanker trucks have been purchased to move water for fire protection. A new tanker truck has been purchased for each fire department in the parish.
The above items have been done for better fire protection and have also been done in hopes of decreasing fire ratings for better insurance prices for property owners.
