Newellton: Town is debt free

NEWELLTON, La. (AP) - The town of Newellton is completely debt free.

Officials say the town made its final debt payment Wednesday.

Edwin Britt, who has been an alderman since 1972, said the town’s accomplishment has been years in the making and involved cooperation from all those involved with managing the Tensas Parish town.

“In all these years that I’ve served, the thing I’m most proud about is how we’ve kept our finances in order,” Britt said.

Newellton has a population of about 1,300. Mayor Timothy Turner said its annual operating budget is between $400,000 and $500,000.

The News-Star reports (https://tnsne.ws/1e8W0Fl) town officials hope the accomplishment can serve as a model for other small towns that are struggling financially.

Britt said Newellton is no different than many small towns that have seen the revenue sources and populations dwindle. Newellton has lost its hospital, sawmill and detention center over the years. Most people rely on the agriculture industry.

“We live within our means. So many little towns waste money. I don’t know why, but a lot of small town people that serve don’t protect the taxpayers’ money,” Britt said.

Britt said many of the town’s key employees have served for a long time, so they know how to better manage the town’s money.

Turner, who is in his second year as mayor, said he leans on elder officials like Britt for advice. They both said a part of the town’s success has been people who are interested in service rather than paychecks. The salaries of the mayor and aldermen stay at or below $1,200 a month.

Turner said he’s proud to be the mayor of the town and hopes the town can move toward a brighter future now that it is debt free.

“It’s a big accomplishment. It gives us the leeway to pursue some projects down the road and boost our overall well-being in the future,” Turner said.

Newellton is renovating its Town Hall, a project Britt said is paid for.

Town officials are also launching a $200,000 street improvement project. Britt said most of it comes from grants. The town’s $25,000 portion of the bill is covered by funds in the bank.

Turner said there are no immediate plans to incur more debt to take on more projects, but he said having such strong finances can open a lot of doors in the future.

Turner’s advice to struggling small towns hoping to follow Newellton’s lead is for officials to work closely together and take advantage of all the grants and programs available to them.

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Information from: The News-Star, https://www.thenewsstar.com