Posted About Three Years Ago
by
Mark Layne
Sheriff Charles Guillory was guest speaker at Rotary Club
March 23, 2021
Evangeline Parish Sheriff Charles Guillory was the guest speaker at today's (Tuesdays) meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club.
The sheriff has called for a one cent sales tax on the April 24 election day ballot. After talking with many people throughout the parish, he felt it was a fairer tax for the citizens of the parish. With a millage tax, only 30 percent of the voters would pay. If approved by parish voters, his office would get an additional 2.5 million dollars a year to help provide law enforcement service to the parish. That would bring his budget to approximately 5 million dollars. That is still below neighboring parish law enforcement agencies like Allen Parish that has a 10 million dollar budget, Avoyelles Parish with 7 million and St. Landry Parish with 16 million dollars.
Thanks to Covid-19 federal funding, the sheriff's department was able to begin a traffic unit and a criminal patrol unit to help combat the drug problem in the parish. So far, over 200 suspects have been arrested since he took office last year.
The sheriff said he plans to give his staff pay raises with the additional funds but his personal salary will remain the same. He is also negotiating with the police jury to construct a new parish jail. With the additional funds, his plans include having more patrol officers on the road, having resource officers in parish schools and substations in various parts of the parish.
He reported that the late Sheriff Wayne Morein attempted to pass a tax some 30 years ago but it was turned down by voters. "Out parish has been neglected for many years. Public safety protection is not free, " said Sheriff Guillory.
Sheriff Guillory was the guest of Rotarian Dr. Hosea "Joey" Soileau.