Audit: DA's budget gap must be addressed

LIVINGSTON, La. (AP) - An audit finds the 21st Judicial District Attorney’s Office began 2013 with a deficit and ended the year with an even bigger one, but the district attorney blames the budget gap on parish government.

In an audit report released Monday by the state Legislative Auditor’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office for Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes had $1.8 million in revenues for 2013, compared to $2.1 million in expenditures.

In a written response to the audit, the District Attorney’s Office said the deficit was directly attributable to the lack of responsibility on the part of parish government.

Parish President Layton Ricks tells The Advocate (https://bit.ly/1kZIbiz) Livingston has not always lived up to its obligation under that law, but the parish is working to correct the problem.

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Information from: The Advocate, https://theadvocate.com