By Tiffany Flournoy
CULLEN, La. — For the second straight meeting, the Town of Cullen council approved key measures often without motions, seconds, or clear votes — all while police business was omitted from the agenda despite critical operational concerns.
The council’s repeated procedural lapses and unclear voting have left residents questioning whether governance, transparency and accountability are priorities.
Attorney Joshua S. Chevallier with Bradley Murchison told alderwomen that actions from the Feb. 2 meeting required formal ratification, including a motion, second and roll-call vote to correct potential defects.
“There were some technical questions raised after the fact on the timing of the posting of the agenda,” Chevallier said. “When that agenda was posted, the town didn’t have an attorney. We reviewed it and believe there were some small technical issues with the notice publication.”
Alderwoman Denise Epps-Hoof made a motion to ratify all Feb. 2 actions. No second was made. Mayor Terry Hoof asked for council comment and then called for a vote. Members responded in apparent support, but no roll-call was conducted, leaving individual votes unclear. The mayor then announced the ratification had passed.
The council also approved an ordinance to amend the town’s water rates. While the item received a roll-call vote, it lacked a clearly-stated motion or second. Alderwoman Barbara Green was the one vote against the measure. If enacted, the base rate will rise from $12.50 to $18.
Alderwoman Bianchi Veal questioned who oversees the water system and what grade it received on its most recent rural water report. Mayor Hoof said the employee monitoring the system is taking certification courses and referred Veal to online records, unable to provide the system’s grade during the meeting.
The council later approved a proposed budget ordinance for 2026–2027. Veal and Green said they were never provided a copy of the 2025–2026 budget last year. Veal criticized the proposal for lack of detailed expenditure breakdowns for the council to immediately review.
Mayor Hoof and Alderwoman Floydean White directed council members to financial reports, but the mayor offered no explanation for why the prior year’s budget ordinance was never distributed. The proposed ordinance covers the general, water and sewer funds but omits police department funding. Its approval, like other actions that evening, proceeded without a clearly-stated motion and second.
Police Chief Fannie Rankin has said in meetings that she has repeatedly requested a copy of the police department’s budget since taking office in 2025 but has not received it.
The police department is also facing mounting operational setbacks — cruisers left immobilized due to lack of fuel, radios surrendered because of the town’s nonpayment and long-standing dispatch services suspended over unpaid bills — raising immediate public safety and officer safety concerns.
From repeated procedural lapses to unclear voting and operational crises within the police department, Cullen residents are left questioning the town’s business practices and priorities.