2012 May Be A Good Financial Year For St. Helena

GREENSBURG, La. (AP) — The St. Helena Parish Police Jury may break even for 2012, or possibly even run a budget surplus, if severance tax and gambling revenue projections hold through year-end.

The Police Jury has run budget deficits totaling $863,840 during the past five years and was projected to be in the red again for 2012.

Accountant Terry Sibley tells The Advocate (http://bit.ly/QpLmj5 ) severance taxes are now projected to be up $250,000 for the year.

With no real change in the timber industry, Sibley says the increase is likely due to wells in the northwestern part of the parish that have begun producing oil from the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale.

He says gambling revenues are also on track to end the year $40,000 higher than budgeted.