Louisiana Legislative Auditor
Daryl G. Purpera, CPA, CFE

November 16, 2015

Tullos Mayor May Have Violated State Law Failing To Collect Occupational License Taxes, Appointing Mother-in-Law to Town Council

The Town of Tullos spent more money than it collected in each of the past four fiscal years, resulting in an operating loss totaling more than $564,000, according to an investigative audit released Monday by Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera.

Meanwhile, Town Mayor Charles Newsom may have violated state law when he appointed his mother-in-law to fill a vacancy on the Town Council and when, for more than two years, he did not collect occupational license taxes required under a Town ordinance after Tullos business owners strongly opposed the license tax at a Town Council meeting.

The Legislative Auditor’s investigation was prompted by wide-ranging complaints received about the Town.

The investigative audit report found that the Town’s water deposit bank account totaled $8,027 less than recorded customer water deposits. Further, the report noted 43 inactive water accounts in the utility billing system where customers’ water deposits totaling $4,010 were either not refunded to the customer when the water account was terminated or were refunded to the customer without the account being adjusted to reflect the refund.

In addition, Town management was not able to provide copies of, or show that it was familiar with the terms and conditions of, various agreements and contracts it had entered into with third parties. The report found that these contracts and agreements showed that the Town’s liabilities may be understated in its financial statements by $355,326; the Town may have overpaid $166,827 for contracted services; and a lease renegotiation may have cost the Town $2,789 more than was necessary to refinance its fire truck.

The Town was further cited in the report for paying an invoice totaling $735 for legal services provided to the former LaSalle Parish Tax Assessor.

With only 385 residents reported to be living in Tullos at the time of the 2010 United States Census, state law further requires the Town Council to adopt a resolution requesting the governor change its classification to a Village, since it has fewer than 1,000 residents.

For more information contact:

Legislative Auditor
225.339.3800



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Office of the Louisiana Legislative Auditor | www.LLA.La.gov