A federal judge has ruled in favor of Provident Realty and Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) in the long-running discrimination lawsuit against St. Bernard Parish. Based on the summary judgement from U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan, the case does not need to go to trial. St. Bernard Parish is to pay an [...]

After consulting with parish attorneys in Executive Session, the St. Bernard Parish council amended the agenda and voted unanimously that the administration stop billing the $32 fire protection charge for the months of November and December on St. Bernard Parish water bills. Before the November 4 budget hearings got underway, Finance Director Beverly Gariepy informed [...]

Confusion over the most recent 2012 budget amendment summary presented by the parish finance department caused the St. Bernard Parish Council to table the ordinance introduction until the next meeting. Councilchair Guy McInnis said that the finance department has until October 23 to present the amended budget, with summaries, to the council for introduction. “I [...]

The parish cannot turn off your water if you choose to not pay the $32 fire protection portion of your water bill. This ruling was made by Judge Robert Buckley in a September 25 order from his court. However, depending on how the parish proceeds, Judge Buckley, along with the other three parish judges, may [...]

In honor of their 25th anniversary and Domestic Violence Awareness month, the St. Bernard Battered Women’s Program will hold their annual Showcase of Strength Gala on October 6 at the Sigur Civic Center. The event will feature food, live music, a silent auction, door prizes and an open bar with all proceeds raised benefiting the [...]

“This ordinance is fraught with nullity, is unconstitutional on its face and as applied, constitutes the imposition of a tax requiring the vote of the people, violates the Louisiana Local Government Budget Act, and threatens any modicum of separation of powers.” The argument is summed up in Item 26 on Page 7 of Peter Rupp’s [...]

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) today announced locations where residents of nine parishes can finalize their application for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DNSAP) benefits. Additional sites will be announced as the need arises or as additional parishes are approved for DSNAP. DSNAP, formerly called Disaster Food Stamps, provides food assistance [...]

After being walloped with 10 – 15 feet of storm surge and winds exceeding 120 mph, the region left outside of St. Bernard’s Hurricane Protection Levee— Delacroix, Shell Beach, Hopedale and Ycloskey— is battered and broken after Hurricane Isaac. “District E experienced substantial damage from Hurricane Isaac last week, especially those living outside the Hurricane [...]

The Executive Finance Committee presented a plan to the administration and the public at their August 14 meeting that, if approved by the council next week, would put a $32 fee on residents’ water bills starting September 1. The fee would keep the fire department safe from layoffs for the remainder of 2012. The EFC, [...]

Three ordinances were introduced during the August 7 council meeting that aim to close the parish’s $2 million 2012 budget gap and fix an anticipated $10 million gap for the 2013 fiscal year– all of which were tabled until the August 21 council meeting. The parish’s budget woes are brought on by inaccurate sales tax [...]