RICHWOOD, La. (KTVE/KARD) – The looming threat of a city shutdown has finally passed for the town of Richwood after the town council approved its 2022-2023 fiscal year budget during a special meeting.
Three members of the board of aldermen who voted to adopt the budget consisted of Janice Fleming, Simeon Profit, and Wysinger Cleveland. Leola Keys and Wilbert Reed Jr. were not present in the meeting.
“We are very appreciative that aldermen came together and supported this budget because it not only had meaning for the employees because we were not getting paid but also more so for the town,” said deputy clerk for the town of Richwood, Charlotte Rainwater.
“I’m excited, I’m relieved, and I’m happy. I’m ready to get to work,” explained mayor Gerald Brown.
The total budget approved is $1.6 million. Mayor Gerald Brown says the adoption of this budget will go towards infrastructure improvements and the overdue maintenance of the town.
“Some sewer things, some things with the police department, vehicles wise. Those are the things that we will begin tomorrow. So, we can make sure that we are taking care of the business of the town and these people protecting them, making sure that they are safe.”
The town of Richwood was a recipient of an American Rescue Plan Grant, but it was not utilized due to the failure of the budget. Brown says part of the budget approved tonight was a plan on how to spend those funds to improve the town.
“We want to contract some engineers to look for some projects like drainage, sewer roads that we can use some of those infrastructure dollars that we got allocated to that. They pay us to do a job, so we want to make sure that they understand we take it seriously.
Brown says the town will soon be working on the next budget in the next few weeks.
