President Mike Cooper opposes the Parish Council’s decision to defund key initiatives to address traffic and drainage concerns and has vetoed the effort to fund the unidentified projects with no purpose or need.
Cooper said the budget that he submitted reflected the ideals and the values of local citizens and he was extremely disappointed that the Parish Council took money out of key initiatives, such as new roadways, drainage improvements and bridge replacements on the Tammany Trace.
President Cooper submitted a Capital Improvement budget totaling more than $60 million in improvements, including: Construction of the Mandeville Bypass Road – $24.5 million; the Comprehensive Parishwide Drainage Plan Phase 2 – $300,000; Replacement of seven Tammany Trace bridges – $6 million; Spanish Trail Heights Subdivision Drainage Improvements in Slidell area – $900,000; and Construction of Roundabout at Emerald Forest and Falconer in Covington area – $1.5 million. Cooper said funding is available for those initiatives but were removed from his proposed 2023 Capital Improvement budget by the Parish Council.
On December 19, President Cooper line item vetoed the “Projects to be Identified” as adopted in the 2023 Capital Improvement Budget totaling $10,873,500.
President Cooper has resubmitted the request to fund the five projects which were removed from the Capital Budget by the Parish Council. The resubmittal will be introduced at the January 5 Parish Council Meeting, which will be held at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers on Koop Drive.
