Frank Auderer, Jr.
Councilman at Large
(504) 756-8563
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Dear Fellow St. Bernardians,
The holidays have passed as quickly as they arrived, and already we have begun the second decade of the 21th century.  I sincerely hope that you had an enjoyable holiday season and will have a prosperous 2010.  In parish government, several gyms have been completed, and if you have not seen the inside of the new gyms, please stop by and take a look.  You will be proud of the facilities provided for our children. The Civic Center will be completed by May first, which will allow our high school graduation to return to our Parish for the first time in five years.  The Civic Center will be much improved and should allow more events to be held in that facility.  You may have noticed the land reshaping in front of the Council on aging building.  The limestone removed from the site was used elsewhere.  Street repairs continue, and while streets are being repaired, drainage is being improved at the same time.  This makes street repair seem slow, but in the end, we will have better street surfaces and better drainage.  The new and improved animal shelter is now open on E. Judge Perez Dr., another facility in which you, as a resident of St. Bernard, can take pride.  Another project that is about to begin is the renovation of the "Aycock Barn" in the historic district of old Arabi.  Councilman Ray Lauga has been working on this project since elected, and I know you will be very proud of his efforts.  The road yard on Parish Rd. will see a new building being constructed on the front of that property, which will provide office space, storage space, and consolidation of departments within the road yard operation.
There are a number of dedicated employees working for us each day, and in December, two were selected and honored as employees of the year by President Taffaro.  Mrs. Michelle Walsh was the 2009 Office Employee of the year and Mr. Louis Pomes as the field employee of the year.  Mrs. Walsh keeps things moving in her department, and Mr. Pomes directs numerous projects at the road yard.  These honors are well deserved and speaks well for all in those departments. 
Let me address another topic which is important to all residents of St. Bernard, and that is the upcoming census.  I estimate that presently our population is between 37,500 and 41,500 residents.  I project that in the next two years, our population will increase to approximately 50,000.  Our population is important not only for congressional representation, but for local federal funding.  The bottom line--if you are a resident, if you are living elsewhere and are in the process of remodeling, and if you are close to returning, please make sure you are counted in the census.  We still have a number of issues to face, and none is more important than our financial condition.  We do have a balanced budget worked out with the council and the administration and approved by the council.  As the year moves forwarad, it will be necessary to adjust the budget to keep it in balance.  The financial difficulty is the result of an approximately 14 percent decline in our sales tax revenues.  Lowe's is now open, and in February, Walmart will open; however, while those facilities should impove our sales tax revenues, they are not projected to make up the 14 percent decline we experienced in 2009.  If we are prudent, we will end 2010 financially in balance.  The council and the administration continue to work to make St. Bernard better than it was previously, and with your help and support, that goal can be accomplished.
On a personal note, as I look back on the past two years, I am grateful that you have allowed me to serve, and hopefully I have met at least some of your expectations.  Once again thank you, and be assured that I will continue to act in your best interest.

Frank Auderer