close
close

Elton paid for former employees’ health insurance, city officials say

Elton paid for former employees’ health insurance, city officials say

ELTON, La. (KPLC) – The financial struggle continues in Elton, where officials have discovered the city continued to pay for several former employees’ health insurance for a year and a half after their employment ended.

In recent months we have told you about the financial problems in the city overdue accounts Unpleasant unpaid federal payroll taxes. Now officials are putting it all on the table where the city stands financially.

During Wednesday night’s special council meeting, Interim Mayor Mike Pierrotti said the city’s general fund is currently about $248,000. The city owes the IRS $215,000 in unpaid federal payroll taxes.

“There’s not much left in the general fund right now, once you take that out,” Pierrotti said.

No federal payroll taxes were paid from the last quarter of 2022 through the third quarter of this year.

The $215,000 does not include any interest or penalties the city could face.

“I sent a letter with the payment, asking them to waive penalties and interest because of the change in personnel we had, the change of mayor and the change of clerks,” Mayor Pierrotti said.

Municipal employee insurance is also under discussion.

Mayor Pierrotti says that as of Oct. 26, there were 13 employees on the list of those receiving health insurance through the city. Seven of these people are no longer employed by the City of Elton, meaning the city paid the insurance for former employees.

“With seven people who should have been off the list, that would be $35,434 in incentives,” Mayor Pierrotti said.

Mayor Pierrotti said some of these people have not been employed by the city for more than a year and a half.

In the future, the city will only pay 60/40 instead of 100 percent for health insurance through the city.

City officials also discussed the planned cuts.

“We were making quite a bit of money on toilet paper and sprays, so after talking to Bruce and some of the council we felt like we could soon get out of Sintile altogether,” Mayor Pierrotti said.

Mayor Pierrotti said he has chosen not to receive gas reimbursement and health insurance through the city.

According to Mayor Pierrotti, former Mayor Kesia Lemoine received a gas allowance of $50 per month, so the city will now save $600 per year. She also received $783.40 in health insurance per month, which will provide $9,400 per year to the city.

Elton councilors and Mayor Pierrotti assured residents they were not aware of any bills or 941 taxes that had not been paid.

‘Let me ask this. Since you were not yet mayor at that time, I want to make sure we are all on the same page. You all sat as a board under the former board, under the former clerk, and to your knowledge, did any of you know that the bills weren’t being paid, that the 941s weren’t being paid? Councilwoman Kay Hebert asked.

The city council and Mayor Pierrotti responded that they were not aware of it.

After the recall of former mayor Lemoine, Piertotti is compete for the official title of mayorchallenged by former council member Marilynn Granger, who helped lead the recall effort.