By Zoë Pickett
Tempers flared during the recent meeting of the Cullen Town Council as residents and officials clashed over unpaid town employees, sanitation problems, and concerns about missing funds, all while the town remains under investigation by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office.
The meeting began with a prayer before quickly turning sour as citizens questioned how the town reached such a dire financial state.
Resident, Fran Gibson, expressed frustration with what she called years of financial mismanagement and a lack of transparency from town leaders.
“I’m blown away by that,” she said, recalling an earlier meeting this year when a representative from Grambling State University assured residents the town was not broke. “Where is the money that was left over from the previous administration, the ARPA funds, the CDs? Cullen has been out of compliance with the auditors for four years.” Gibson accused the current administration of “killing Cullen” through inaction and poor oversight.
Sanitation issues also dominated the discussion. Another resident stated a large dumpster placed near his home has created unbearable conditions. “I can’t even sit in my yard anymore,” he told the council. “The smell and critters are terrible. It’s unsanitary.” Mayor Terry Hoof responded that the town had contacted someone in hopes of resolving the issue.
Council members also voiced concerns about the ongoing garbage collection, which they said puts town workers at risk and poses potential health hazards.
“It puts us back to the 1950s,” said Councilwoman Barbara Green, adding that the town fell behind on payments to its former trash contractor, forcing employees to pick up garbage by hand.
Hoof said the garbage situation was not a part of the agenda and there will be a separate meeting discussing those issues.
Tension escalated as attention turned to reports that some town employees, including members of the Cullen Police Department, have gone without pay for nearly two weeks. Police Chief Fannie Rankin said she and her officers had not been paid and called the situation unacceptable.
“It’s not right for the bills to come before me and Officer Montgomery,” she said, referring to herself and another officer. “We should be paid. It’s also against the law to decrease my pay.”
Several council members said they had not received full financial information from the mayor’s office or the town’s contracted CPA. Green questioned where certain federal and local funds had gone and why the council had not received copies of all town account statements.
“The council is supposed to have all accounts and financials of the town,” she said. “We have a CPA, but we’re not getting what we need.”
Frustrations boiled over when another Councilwoman stated, over a phone call during the meeting with Green, she had not received her paycheck while others confirmed they had been paid. Resident Fran Gibson urged the council to improve communication with employees and citizens.
“Nobody’s going to work for free,” she said. “If people aren’t getting paid, they need to know ahead of time so they can plan.”
By the end of the meeting, the mayor announced plans to advertise for a new town clerk and assistant clerk, saying the positions were necessary since those positions are no longer filled. The announcement drew criticism from several attendees who questioned why the town would hire new employees when it was struggling to pay its current staff.
“It’s embarrassing,” Gibson said. “You’re advertising jobs when people aren’t even getting paid.”
In addition to the financial situation, it has been reported that Cullen’s police patrol units are currently not insured. Officers also face ongoing issues with fueling their vehicles, as there is no active gas card system in place. When officers need fuel, they are required to contact the mayor for assistance, creating operational challenges for the department.
According to confirmation from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office, the Town of Cullen is currently under investigation. The scope of the audit has not been made public, but it reportedly includes a review of town finances and record keeping.
As of now, no one from Cullen Town Hall was available to comment on the audit.