This happened all because Eunice Mayor Bob Morris has refused to reimburse the council on aging thousands of dollars.
"It's about whether taxpayer money is spent right" says Morris.
Eunice Mayor Bob Morris doesn't feel he should have to reimburse the Council on Aging site Director $6,000 in payments to cover the last year, ignoring an opinion stating otherwise from the State Attorney General's Office.
The Council on Aging helps elderly residents find housing, like at this complex in Eunice. They worry that if funds are not reimbursed, they would have to cut services to seniors.
"St. Landry Parish Council on aging services 7 cities, only 3 make extra payments" says Morris.
Eunice being one of those cities that also pays for a site manager, Morris says when he asked for records from the COA before issuing reimbursement, that his request was denied.
"I feel I have a mandate from the citizens of this town to question all taxpayer funded expenses" says Morris
But the city council voted in 2004 to pay for the position. Fearing a loss of services, council woman Chawana Fontenot requested an opinion from the attorney general's office.
Received this month, the opinion from the Attorney General's office was that the mayor has no grounds to refuse reimbursement of funds to the COA and according to Fontenot, reimbursement of funds is better than the alternative.
"If we had to provide these services, it would cost a lot more than what we give COA."
The site manager for the council on aging in Eunice is councilwoman Fontenot's mother. We're told she's been in the position for about ten years, and reimbursement hasn't been an issue except within the past year.
