Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing independent reporting series that started in late 2025 examining municipal operations, public accountability and transparency in the Town of Cullen. The reporting and original work in this series were independently produced.
By Tiffany Flournoy
CULLEN, La. — Amid mounting financial distress, water problems and a state audit, the Cullen Town Council voted unanimously Monday to consent to state intervention and a fiscal administrator who could begin work as soon as Sept. 1.
All council members were present for the specially called 5 p.m. meeting.
A faster path to fiscal administration
Town attorney Amberlee Nix explained the resolution would allow Cullen to consent and cooperate with the Attorney General’s Office rather than requiring the state to file suit and compel the town to cooperate.
“We believe the thing that triggered this was the water issues,” Nix said during Monday’s meeting.
Nix said public health and safety concerns can bring the Attorney General’s Office into a municipality to pursue the appointment of a fiscal administrator. She described Cullen’s water situation as “pretty dire.”
By consenting to the process, Nix said, Cullen could avoid a lengthy court proceeding that could delay the appointment for months.
The resolution would be filed with a joint motion for consideration by the state officials involved in the process.
Nix said the fiscal administrator identified for Cullen is a CPA based in Baton Rouge who has previously handled similar assignments.
The administrator would review the town’s financial records and assume responsibility for overseeing its finances. Town administrative staff would report to the administrator, whose role would be to help return Cullen to stable financial footing.
Nix said the process would not necessarily be easy or quick.
“The fiscal administrator may make some decisions that people don’t like,” Nix said. “But we do think this is a step in the right direction of getting … the help that we need.”
One requirement, Nix said, is that the fiscal administrator leave the town with at least a three-year plan for moving forward.
“So, I believe financially, this would be the best decision,” Nix said.
Audit problems and state scrutiny
Cullen’s financial difficulties have also been tied to problems involving required financial audits.
During the council’s Aug. 10 session, town attorney Josh Chevallier said Cullen’s audit problems had placed the town on a state noncompliance list.
That status has prevented the town from going before the State Bond Commission to seek bridge-loan funding that could potentially help address its financial problems, Chevallier said during that earlier session.
Chevallier also explained that a fiscal administrator could potentially recommend that Cullen seek Bond Commission funding as part of the effort to stabilize the town.
Cullen is also amid a state audit.
Chevallier previously said a fiscal administrator had already been identified and was willing to take the assignment, with Sept. 1 identified as a possible start date if the process moved quickly.
State representative addresses council
State Rep. Wayne McMahen was listed on Monday’s agenda and addressed the council and those in attendance.
“After talking to the council members individually this week, I think everybody pretty well understands what we’re up against, what we need to do,” McMahen said.
His comments came as the council prepared to vote on the resolution consenting to state involvement.
Council also changes bank signatories
The council also voted Monday on a separate matter involving the town’s bank signatories.
The council designated interim Mayor Pro Tem Floydean White and Alderman Barbara Green as the town’s authorized bank signatories.
Both votes were taken during a meeting that was later examined for compliance with notice and procedural requirements.
Notice and procedural questions
The specially called meeting was held at Cullen Town Hall at 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17.
The meeting notice became particularly notable in light of a discussion during the council’s Aug. 10 session.
After concerns about whether the council had a quorum led to discussion about rescheduling the meeting, town attorney Josh Chevallier stressed the importance of complying with the 24-hour notice requirement and ensuring the notice was posted timely.
Five days later, at 6:54 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, no notice or agenda for the Monday meeting was posted at Cullen Town Hall, according to a check of the building that evening.
It is unclear when the notice was ultimately posted.
Under Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law, public bodies generally must provide written notice of a special meeting at least 24 hours before the meeting, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. The notice must include the agenda, date, time and place.
The law also requires public bodies subject to those notice requirements to allow a public comment period before action is taken on an agenda item upon which a vote will occur.
No public comment section was listed on Monday’s posted agenda, and no public comment period was announced before the council took action.
The council also proceeded with business without first formally approving Monday’s agenda.
The meeting proceeded without several customary procedural steps, including formal motions and seconds before the council acted on the matters before it.
Town attorney Amberlee Nix was present during Monday’s meeting and addressed the council regarding the fiscal-administrator resolution. Her comments focused on the state’s process, the town’s financial condition and why the town’s attorneys believed consenting to the fiscal administrator was the best course.
Nix did not address the meeting notice, public-comment period or other procedural issues during the meeting.
The procedural and notice questions did not arise as objections during Monday’s meeting; rather, they emerged from a review of the meeting, the posted notice and the requirements of Louisiana law.
Louisiana law provides that an action taken in violation of the Open Meetings Law may be declared voidable by a court, with a lawsuit seeking to void the action required to be filed within 60 days.
Monday’s unanimous vote moves Cullen closer to state oversight as the town attempts to address its financial distress, water problems and audit-related issues.
About the reporter: Tiffany Flournoy is an independent investigative journalist and contributing writer for multiple news outlets, including the Webster Parish Journal, with experience covering government accountability, courts, public safety and justice issues across Louisiana. Her ongoing investigative reporting examines municipal operations, transparency and public accountability.