ELTON, La. (KPLC) – Financial struggles continue in Elton, where officials discovered the town continued paying for some former employees’ health insurance for a year and a half after their employment ended.

Over the past few months we have told you about the financial problems in town. overdue invoices with unpaid federal payroll taxes. Now officials are considering where the town stands financially.

At Wednesday night’s special council meeting, Interim Mayor Mike Pierrotti shared that the town’s general fund is currently around $248,000. The town owes $215,000 to the IRS in unpaid federal payroll taxes.

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

Federal payroll taxes were not 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 town might face.

Mayor Pierrotti said, “I sent a letter with the payment requesting that the penalty and interest be waived due to the change of staff, change of mayor, change of clerk.”

Municipal employee insurance will also be discussed.

Mayor Pierrotti said as of Oct. 26, 13 employees were on the list of those who received health insurance through the town. Seven of those people no longer work for the Town of Elton, meaning the town is covering the cost of insurance for the former employees.

“If we had to have seven people removed from the rolls, which they should have been removed, that would mean a premium of $35,434,” Mayor Pierrotti said.

Mayor Pierrotti said some of these people have not worked in town for more than a year and a half.

Going forward, the town will only pay 60/40 of the health insurance through the town, rather than 100 percent.

Town officials also discussed projected budget cuts.

“We were spending quite a bit of money on toilet paper and sprays, so after talking to Bruce and some people on the council, we felt like we could move away from Sintile completely in a short period of time,” Mayor Pierrotti said.

Mayor Pierrotti said he chose not to receive his gas allowance and health insurance from the town.

According to Mayor Pierrotti, former mayor Kesia Lemoine was receiving $50 a month in gas assistance, meaning the town will now save $600 a year. He also received $783.40 a month in health insurance, which would save the town $9,400 a year.

Elton councilors and Mayor Pierrotti assured residents they were not aware of any bills or unpaid 941 taxes.

“Let me just ask this. Since you weren’t mayor at the time, I want to make sure we’re all on the same page. You were all sitting as council under the old administration, the old clerk’s administration, and as far as you know, did any of you know that the bills weren’t paid, the 941s weren’t paid?” Councilwoman Kay Hebert asked.

The Council and Mayor Pierrotti said they were not aware of it.

Piertotti after recall of former mayor Lemoine vying for the official title of mayorIt faced opposition from former councilwoman Marilynn Granger, who led the recall effort.

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