Where Do Your Tax Dollars Go?

    Have you ever wondered exactly how the City of Central spends your tax dollars?  You have a fundamental right to know, and here’s how that right is protected under Louisiana state law.
    Each June, Central adopts a budget for the collection and spending of tax dollars and other revenues.  It is the duty of the mayor to prepare and submit the budget to the city council and make it available for public inspection at his office no later than June 15.
    After submission to the city council, the city publishes a notice in the The Advocate at least ten days prior to the date of the first public hearing, giving the date, time, and place of the hearing and stating that the proposed budget is available for public inspection at the mayor’s office.  The city council then votes, in a public hearing, on whether to approve the mayor’s budget.
    The laws spelling out this process are very specific for a reason, to ensure that the government’s activities are conducted openly, and the citizens can have a say in the spending of public funds.  The city council is scheduled to vote on this year’s budget next Tuesday at 6 p.m.