LAPLACE — St. John the Baptist Parish just got a Christmas present in the form of a $10 million check from Marathon Petroleum Company LP.

A second $10 million check will be issued to Parish officials on Jan. 15, 2020, according to Marathon representatives.

The first check, presented Wednesday evening at the Parish Government Building in LaPlace, will be split between St. John Parish administration, the St. John Sheriff’s Office and St. John Parish Public Schools. It will also support other entities with local impact, such as the St. John Assessor’s Office.

The funds are being split proportionately with regard to the current millage amounts, according to Assessor Lucien Gauff.

St. John Parish government will receive approximately $3.88 million of the initial $10 million check. According to Parish President Natalie Robottom, the breakdown between the taxing bodies will be as follows:

Parish ($328,197.72), Road Lights ($307,334.30), Courthouse and Jail ($80,243.94), Library ($797,624.78), Public Health ($77,034.18), Recreation Facilities ($180,548.87), Levee ($561,707.59), Parish Obligation Bonds ($1,003,049.27), Mosquito Abatement Dist. ($38,517.09), Juvenile Detention Center ($80,243.94), ARC Mtce. ($77,836.62), Animal Control Facilities ($60,182.96), and Council on Aging ($79,441.50).

St. John Parish Government has been in discussion with Marathon, the school system and the sheriff for more than two years to identify needs within the community, according to Robottom.

“Marathon has been in our corner from day one and there is a great deal of synergy between our organizations, so we are elated to receive this large of a sum of money today and have the opportunity to accelerate the quality of life here,” Robottom said.

She explained some of the ongoing projects in St. John Parish that will benefit from funding. Funds are needed to complete the Lucy recreational trail on the West Bank of St. John Parish. Additionally, the Edgard Courthouse is in need of substantial upgrades, according to Robottom.

The $561,707.59 allocated to the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Levee will support the local match needed to fund the project. St. John Parish is financially responsible for ongoing operation and maintenance of the levee.

St. John Parish Public Schools will receive approximately $4.03 million from the first $10 million check. New Interim Superintendent Cory Butler celebrated his first unofficial day in the position by receiving the check, which he said would be put to good use.

“As you know, educating a child is becoming a very expensive thing,” Butler said. “We would like to ensure additional funding received trickles down to each child one by one. As to where we want to put those dollars we are collecting today and those dollars we are collecting in the very near future, I have an opportunity to sit down and discuss what’s in the best interest of our children.”

The St. John Sheriff’s Office will receive approximately $3.299 million of the first $10 million check. Sheriff Mike Tregre said these funds could go toward a number of initiatives to keep St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office resources competitive with neighboring parishes.

Funding for Mardi Gras parades, fireworks displays and pay raises can only make life in St. John Parish better, according to Tregre.

“The working relationship the St. John Sheriff’s Office has had with Marathon has been great,” Tregre said. “I think a lot of the other parishes wish they had a working relationship like we have with our industry.”

Marathon and other local industry partners have provided for the Sheriff’s Office numerous times, Tregre said, citing the acquisition of bulletproof vests as just one example. He praised the strong communication between Marathon and each of the local governing entities.

The $20 million being issued between Dec. 2019 and Jan. 2020 is an advance payment toward the estimated $40+ million in Marathon property taxes maturing onto the tax roll.

The revenue was initially expected to start coming through in late 2020/early 2021. Receiving the money at the beginning of the year makes it possible to jump start urgent projects under the new administration, according to Robottom.

Dave Foster, Vice President of the Marathon Petroleum Garyville Refinery, said he was happy to help the community flourish.

“Our success over the past 40-plus years would not have been possible without the leadership of Parish President Natalie Robottom, Parish President Elect Jaclyn Hotard, Sheriff Mike Tregre, the St. John School Board and Assessor Lucien Gauff,” Foster said. “When they shared with us the importance of addressing urgent community needs, we listened carefully. And then we went to work to find a solution for our community.”

Foster noted that a business does not operate in a vacuum. Therefore, it is important for business to give back to the community that supports it.