GRAND COTEAU, La. — On Monday, auditors released their report on the Town of Grand Coteau. But by Tuesday afternoon, when a town hall meeting was held, the audit was nowhere on the agenda — and it wasn’t discussed at all.
That left some residents frustrated and searching for answers.
“Yes, I think it should have been discussed. Now that it's been released, I want to see how the town handles the situation,” said Rose Marcel, a Grand Coteau resident.
The audit highlighted a range of financial issues in the town, including the fact that Grand Coteau’s gas, water, and sewer services are not turning a profit — a concern that could potentially lead to an increase in residents' utility bills.
“With everything going up, we’re all just trying to save extra money,” Marcel said. Additional problems flagged in the audit include:
- Open Meetings Law violations
- Late tax filings
- Unpaid vendors
- Missing financial records
- A failure to make a profit on utility sales
“I’m just concerned about people paying their bills on time — and that we’re collecting enough money to cover the town’s expenses,” Marcel added. Marcel attended Tuesday night’s town meeting expecting town leaders to address the audit. Instead, discussions focused on other topics such as:
- Blighted properties
- A water pollution prevention report
- Road and traffic concerns
“There should have been more transparency. As a citizen of Grand Coteau, I expect transparency,” said Marcel
During the meeting, the mayor briefly addressed the audit.
“We’re going to have a meeting when the auditors are available for the audit report — and that’s all I have to say,” he told attendees.
Ahead of the meeting, Grand Coteau Mayor Patrick Richard addressed the audit and its findings.
“Yes, in every audit there are findings — some things carry over year to year. But they’re always things we can work on,” he said. The audit also revealed that some customers — including town employees and elected officials — are not paying their utility bills in full or on time yet continue to receive services without being charged late fees. This is a violation of the town’s utility cutoff policy.
“Every year we face the same issues,” the mayor said. “Utilities are one thing we’re working on. And yes, we are doing cutoffs — for everybody. I don’t care if you’re my sister or my family — guess what? You’re getting cut off.”
On Monday, Alderman Devin Thomas issued the following statement:
“As I review the issues regarding Grand Coteau’s finances, I am shocked to see what’s on the list, truthfully. The board members were never given this audit by the auditors, nor were the mayor and administration.”
KATC reached out to Kolder, Slaven & Company, LLC, the firm responsible for the audit, to ask whether they provided the report to the town. As of news time, we have not received a response.
KATC also asked the mayor whether he or town officials were aware of the audit. According to Richard, “The audit is done annually, and when the report is complete, they print out a book for us. Right now, that book is in everyone’s box, so everyone received a copy.” As of now, there is no set date for when the mayor and council plan to meet with auditors or discuss the audit with the public.
Marcille also informed the council during the meeting about ongoing issues with the town’s utility billing system. She said the system has failed to notify her when bills are due and has not accepted her payments for the past two months.
The mayor acknowledged the issue and said his administration will look into the problem.
