By Marilyn Miller
Travis Morehart, managing partner at Cook & Morehart Accounting Firm & CPAs of Shreveport, addressed the Dixie Inn Board of Aldermen Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 regarding the 2023-2024 audit.
The 44-page audit indicated that the Village of Dixie Inn overall is “looking really good,” with the majority of the findings being minor, like a budgeted grant item of $120,000 yet to be spent. “Next year just amend it (when the grant money is spent),” Morehart advised.
In the Water/Sewer Dept., the Village is showing -13,000 dollars net cash for Operations. “Some years are better than others,” the auditor said. He asked Mayor Donna Hoffoss if she had applied for a rate study. The mayor replied that she had, but hadn’t heard anything from them to-date.
The General Fund “looks really good, with $111,000 in excess,” Morehart said. “Sales tax was steady, but video poker was down some.” Morehart once again assured the aldermen and mayor that the town has no dept, despite the figures showing that Dixie Inn owes $293,000 to the state’s police fund. “This indicates that your share of the police pension liability fund is $293,000. Every municipality in the State of Louisiana shares this debt. The deficit was created over the years…it is just an accounting thing.”
“Overall, you have nothing to worry about,” the auditor assured. “Your clerk (Alicia Ware) is doing a good job.”
Dixie Inn Chief of Police Jeffrey McNeill gave his monthly report to the board. Alderman Lance Milligan asked the chief why he thought there were more arrests in December, and he replied, “Most of those are utility thefts.”
“You mean electricity?” Milligan prodded.
“Yes, electricity being stolen,” McNeill replied.
While there were 0 arrests in November, there were six in December. There were 34 traffic stops, nine citations, 96 building checks, 16 back-ups, 16 public assists, and 21 calls for service.
In other business, the Board:
- Approved resolution No. 01-01142025, for assistance from the Webster Parish Police Jury for FY 2025 (totaling $16,000);
- Appointed Mike Chreene as part-time Maintenance Supervisor at 10 to 20 hours a week (as needed) at a rate of $25.00 per hour. Chreene is retiring from the Village of Dixie Inn on Feb. 4, 2025 after spending 25 years in the Maintenance department. His staying on will allow him to train his replacement;
- Mike earlier reported that the department “made it through the cold weather last week. If we can make it through next week, I’ll be happy.”
