[StBernard] Interim Emergency Board helps local governments

[Westley Annis]

Interim Emergency Board sends money to local governments recovering from
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita  

BATON ROUGE-- The Interim Emergency Board today voted to send financial
assistance to parish and municipal governments who have been severely
impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 

Chairman of the board, Commissioner of Administration Jerry Luke LeBlanc, in
announcing the assistance said, "These funds are available as interim
assistance while these governmental entities are waiting for additional tax
revenues or loans from the federal government."  

Money received from the board can be used to fund salaries for current
employees, to rehire a portion of employees who were laid off and for other
essential operational expenses. 

22 municipalities, four parishes and five sheriff's offices will receive a
total of a little more than $14.6 million in interim assistance. 

The list of municipalities receiving funds from the board ranged from Vinton
in the far southwest corner of the state to Gueydan, Delcambre and Erath in
the south central area, to Slidell and Covington in the area north of New
Orleans.  The municipalities were allocated $5.3 million dollars by the
Interim Emergency Board in yesterday's action. 

Parish governments receiving assistance were Cameron, a Rita victim in the
southwest coastal region, and Jefferson, Plaquemines and St. Bernard in the
Orleans area, all devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The four recovering
parishes were given a total of $4 million by the IEB. 

Also receiving emergency funding as interim relief were both the Civil and
Criminal Sheriffs in Orleans Parish and the Sheriff's offices in Cameron,
Plaquemines and St. Bernard. The five sheriff's offices were given $5.3
million in interim assistance.   

Hurricane Katrina emergency funding: 

New Orleans Parish civil and criminal sheriff's office- $3.5 million
St. Bernard Parish council and sheriff's office- $1.8 million
Plaquemines Parish council and sheriff's office- $1.3 million
Jefferson Parish cities and the parish council- $4.3 million 
St. Tammany Parish towns and cities- $1.7 million

Hurricane Rita emergency funding:

Calcasieu Parish towns and the city of Lake Charles- $1.1 million
Cameron Parish sheriff's office and the parish police jury- $712,000
Vermilion Parish towns- $54,000 

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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation (LDRF), Louisiana's fund for
Louisiana's people, has been established by Governor Kathleen Babineaux
Blanco in order to support long-term family restoration and recovery and
help provide assistance to our citizens in need through a network of
Louisiana charities and non-profit agencies. 

1-877-HELPLA1 (877-435-7521) www.louisianahelp.org