Tuesday night, the St. John the Baptist Parish Council met for the last meeting of the year to handle a number of high priority items.

Before the meeting, Council members partnered with Blessed to be a Blessing to distribute bicycles to the youth of St. John. This has become an annual event with Blessed to be a Blessing to give back to the community and our youth.

One of the biggest items of the year was completed with the Council successfully passing the 2016 annual operating budget with projected expenditures of $95 million, including the 2014 Bond Issue and CDBG funding. Other than annual operating costs, the budget includes funding appropriations for capital projects estimated to be completed over the next several years, such as, but not limited to:

• Government facility upgrades and construction

• Drainage system improvements

• Water and sewer system infrastructure upgrades

• Parish wide park infrastructure improvements

• Parish wide concrete and asphalt Street repair

• Bridge repair and construction

These projects and more have a nearly estimated $56.2 million left to complete, with a majority of the dollars going towards water and waste water systems.

In other business Tuesday night, the Council authorized administration to solicit bids for Phase II of the Reserve Drainage Project, which is funded through a FEMA and Governor’s Office of Homeland Security Grant from Hurricane Gustave/Ike.

A contract was also amended to allow a firm to continue managing and securing grants for parish wide infrastructure upgrades and improvements.

Since inception, nearly $3 million in grant funding has been secured for St. John Parish.

The 2016 annual contract for pumps and related materials was awarded, as well as an Intergovernmental Agreement with the River Parishes Transit Authority to continue the regional mass transit system. The River Parishes Transit Authority operates and administers the transit system within St. Charles and St. John the Baptist Parishes.

It has been an honor serving as the Council Chairman for St. John Parish this year, representing the governing body and residents of our great parish. What has been potentially one of the most controversial years in this term between the Executive and Legislative branch has ended with a sense of unity and humility.

A commitment from both branches of government to work together, bringing ideas from both sides of the table to work towards a bigger, better, and stronger parish is in place.

I look forward to working with a new team of elected officials, as well as returning officials, to bridge the gap that has divided our Parish, especially over the last several years.

To our outgoing elected officials, thank you for your service to St. John Parish. Public Service is no easy service; it has been a great pleasure working with you all and the integrity you have held for your constituents.

Lastly, but certainly not least, on behalf of the St. John the Baptist Parish Council and Administration, I hope you and your family had a Merry Christmas and we wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.

God Bless us and God Bless St. John!

Michael P. Wright is St. John the Baptist Parish Council chairman and District 5 representative. Contact him at District5@sjbparish.com.