ST. LANDRY PARISH, LA – As the St. Landry Parish Government moves forward with cost-cutting measures and the elimination of several positions, Sheriff Bobby Guidroz is openly criticizing the parish’s handling of jail-related expenses, suggesting that poor management is at the root of the current financial difficulties.
In an interview, Sheriff Guidroz questioned the parish’s budgeting decisions, particularly concerning the costs tied to the local jail system.
“I know they are short, but this all comes down to management,” Guidroz said. “If I know I am short, I wouldn’t be giving these one hundred, eighty-thousand-dollar jobs when I can pay fifty thousand dollars. I mean, I wouldn’t do it. That is abuse. And what people need to realize is that you are dealing with other people’s money—and that’s taxpayers’ money. And I will be responsible for it.”
The sheriff also challenged Parish President Jesse Bellard over the use of the jail maintenance tax, which collects between $750,000 and $800,000 annually.
“Every year he collects $750,000 to $800,000 on his jail maintenance tax,” Guidroz said. “He says he doesn’t have the $375,000 to maintain the jail—then he needs to re-direct the jail maintenance funds.”
However, Bellard clarified the purpose of the jail maintenance tax, telling KATC that the funds are strictly earmarked for the upkeep of the jail building and do not cover expenses related to housing inmates under state custody. Those costs — which include medical care, food, and utilities — come from the parish’s general fund. Bellard explained that this fund is currently strained by approximately $1.5 million annually for inmate-related expenses.
The disagreement has escalated beyond budget debates. Last year, the parish government filed a lawsuit against Sheriff Guidroz over who should bear the financial responsibility for housing state inmates.
In an effort to ease budget pressures, Sheriff Guidroz proposed reopening the long-unused jail facility in Opelousas. The sheriff expressed willingness to staff the facility himself if it could reduce costs for the parish government.
“I would love to house inmates in that jail,” Guidroz said. “But the city will not allow it because they do not have jailers—they do not have the manpower to hire security. I raised my hand and said, ‘I will hire jailers,’ if it saves the parish government money.”
Despite the ongoing budget challenges, Guidroz said he does not intend to reduce staff within his department, including personnel at the jail.
He also called for greater transparency from parish leadership regarding jail expenses. “If he is not getting enough money to feed the state inmates, I offered to remedy that—even before this went to the court system. But I got to have receipts,” he said.
As the parish government continues to grapple with budget constraints, the dispute between Sheriff Guidroz and Parish President Bellard highlights deeper tensions over financial management and accountability in St. Landry Parish.