The City of Carencro used your tax dollars to create a private nonprofit, with no oversight, no ordinance, and no legal obligation to return the money. Then they told you nothing was wrong.

The reaction to our recent article concerning “Carencro’s Pas Bon Grift Festival” has been interesting. When presented with self-authenticating public records confirming the substance of our conclusions and opinions, people quickly pick a side. They either deny it, believe it, or try to justify why there is nothing wrong with what is occurring. Perhaps it is someone they have a personal connection with. After all, real, living people are involved in this situation, and people make mistakes. So, we get it!

There certainly could be a mix of well-intentioned and nefarious actors in any association, whether social, religious, or political. Just because one is associated with a particular group doesn’t necessarily make them evil. But when your default response is “We didn’t do anything wrong…” It says something about you. Especially when the facts indicate otherwise. Are you misinformed? Gullible? In denial? Or are you just gaslighting?

Lastly, if you thought that article was explicitly directed at you, please take a step back and realize it wasn’t. If the facts hurt your feelings, perhaps it is time to introspect. Our attachment and interest in the situation have very little to do with YOU, no matter WHO YOU ARE. It has to do with informing people about how their local government operates and how their tax dollars are spent. So, join us as we examine the FACTS… and additional information that has come to light since our last publication.

FACT – The Financial Audit Confirms a Mismanagement of Tax Dollars Took Place

On June 26, 2024, the City of Carencro released an Independent Financial Audit report concerning the fiscal year ending November 30, 2023. That fiscal report contains twenty-six areas that the auditor cited as being deficient. Twenty Six! Those deficiencies include numerous violations of state law and other irregularities which we DID NOT MENTION in the previous article. They include:

SIGNIFICANT AUDIT ADJUSTMENTS (2023-004)

During the audit, significant adjustments were made to correct financial statement amounts to their proper balances based on support acquired during the audit. Without reliance on the auditor’s procedures, these adjustments would not have been detected, which could lead to balances being misstated at year-end.

COLLECTION PROCESS (2023-005)

A non-employee of the City collected amounts owed to the City through a personal Venmo account and then remitted the amount to the City through a reduction of reimbursements owed from the City.

FAILURE TO TRANSFER SALES TAX IN ACCORDANCE WITH CONTRACT (2023-006)

The City of Carencro has a signed agreement with the Parks and Recreation Commission of Carencro, Inc. (a component unit) that states” A sales tax election held on May 1, 1993, provided a one third (1/3) cent sales tax for the promotion of recreation and physical fitness activities in Carencro. All monies derived from subject sales tax … shall go directly to the Park and Recreation Commission’s account”. The City did not properly transfer sales taxes following the contract.

FAILURE TO PROPERLY REMIT PAYROLL TAXES (2023-007)

The City did not remit all required payroll taxes per Internal Revenue Service guidelines.

FAILURE TO FILE TAX RETURNS TIMELY (2023-009)

The Louisiana Department of Revenue requires that all Sales Tax Returns and tax payments be filed appropriately and remitted by the 20th of the month following the close of the calendar month of the reporting period. The City did not properly file all sales tax returns on time.

BUDGET DEFICIT (2023-010)

Revised Statute 39: 1305 (E) states, “The total of proposed expenditures shall not exceed the total of estimated funds available for the ensuing fiscal year”. The City budgeted expenditures over amounts available for the 1993 Sales Tax Fund and Hotel Motel Sales Tax Fund.

FAILURE TO AMEND THE BUDGET (2023-011)

Louisiana Revised Statute 39: 1311A(2) states that the budget is required to be amended when “total expenditures and other uses plus projected expenditures and other uses for the remainder of the year, within a fund, are exceeding the total budgeted expenditures and other uses by five percent or more”. Additionally, Louisiana Revised Statute 39: 1311 A(l) states that the budget is required to be amended when “total revenues and other sources plus projected revenues and other sources for the remainder of the year, within a fund, are failing to meet total budgeted revenues and other sources by five percent or more”. Total expenditures and other general fund uses exceeded total budgeted expenses and other sources by more than five percent. In addition, the TIF District Sales Tax fund revenues and other sources failed to meet total budgeted revenues by more than five percent.

Finally!

Lastly, the single infraction that we did mention in the previous article, which specifically pertained to the Carencro C’est Bon Seasoning Festival, was audit finding 2023-008 concerning the “Donation of Public Funds.” That finding reads:

Article 7, Section 14 of the Louisiana Constitution states “the funds, credit, property or things of value of the state or of any political subdivision shall not be loaned, pledged, or donated to or for any person, association, or corporation, public or private.” The City of Carencro donated $3,000 in the form of legal services for the formation of a non-profit organization.

Our courts have held that the purpose of a constitutional provision prohibiting the donation of public funds is to end the old practice of the legislature pledge state credit to aid private enterprise and to protect the electorate from the possibility that a politically powerful individual or interest could induce the legislature or other governmental entity to donate assets of the State. The Louisiana Constitution is violated whenever the state or a political subdivision seeks to give up something of value when it is under no legal obligation.

FACT – The Carencro C’est Bon Seasoning Fest, Inc. was formed through the improper use of tax dollars

The C’est Bon Seasoning Fest, Inc. was formed in December of 2023. There was no agreement between the City and C’est Bon Seasoning Fest, Inc. at the time. There simply couldn’t be. The organization didn’t exist. Mayor Clavier used City funds to form the non-profit corporation of which she was the sole incorporator. In a text message conversation between several Board members and Mayor Clavier the statement was made:

  “I guess I’m confused I didn’t know it was wrong for a Mayor to incorporate a festival non profit…”

Mayor Clavier in response remarks:

“There is absolutely no reason I shouldn’t do it. Nothing we have done is wrong. I also incorporated another non profit for Keep Carencro Beautiful.”

NOTE: It is worth mentioning that no such non-profit, “Keep Carencro Beautiful”, is presently incorporated and registered with Louisiana Secretary of State.

No, it’s not just like the Scott Boudin Festival

In other conversations, references are made to the Scott Boudin Festival as justification for what was done. The audit reports for the City of Scott never show that they were cited for improperly donating money related to the Boudin Festival. So, let’s compare apples to apples, not Boudin to Seasoning. Another example already exists for a non-profit formed by the City of Carencro.

The City of Carencro previously incorporated the Parks and Recreation Commission of Carencro, Inc. (PARC). That organization, which was founded in 1993, was recently dissolved. PARC was considered a component unit of the City of Carencro. As such, PARC was subject to public records requests and required to undergo annual financial audits, which were public records. Additionally, the articles of incorporation filed by PARC in 1993 contains a dissolution clause which states: “Upon the dissolution of the corporation, the Board of Trustees shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all of the liabilities of the corporation, transmit any of the assets of the corporation to the City of Carencro…” This differs drastically from the C’est Bon Seasoning Fest, Inc.

Created to dodge public records law?

According to the attorney for the C’est Bon Seasoning Fest, Inc., they are not subject to public records requests because they are not a public body. This, even though they owe their very existence to the expenditure of tax dollars, which caused them to be formed, and supplemental appropriations to fund their operations. Under this same logic, they would not necessarily be subject to annual financial audits. Remember, we asked them for their financial records and were told they were a private organization. We asked the City of Carencro, which, under the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the organization, has a right to obtain and inspect their records, to get a copy so we could review them. They have not done so!

So, by the responses provided by the organization, it appears they believe they are a separate entity not subject to public oversight, whether by the City or the public. The C’est Bon Seasoning Fest, Inc. also has a dissolution clause in its articles of incorporation. Would you be surprised to know that, upon its dissolution and after paying its debts, there is NO OBLIGATION that the remaining assets are transferred to the City of Carencro. The City of Carencro is a creditor by virtue of the zero-interest, non-recourse loan it provided to the organization. Will they ever get paid back? 

FACT – The City of Carencro knowingly and intentionally improperly expended funds to the Carencro C’est Bon Seasoning Fest, Inc.

On April 4, 2024, Mayor Clavier sent an e-mail to Accountant Burton Kolder. In that e-mail Clavier states:

“So during budgeting, we allocated $40K for the state of the Carencro C’est Bon Seasoning Festival…. The Beneficiary of the Carencro C’est Bon Festival is the City of Carencro…”

“The City is not giving a check to the Festival only paying for deposit etc necessary for the Festival – the festival is in November, We have bands that we need to cut checks for deposit. The festival is just now starting to seek Sponsorships and has received its first one.

“Colin [with the accounting firm] stopped Mrs Lisa from cutting the checks. There has to be a way to get this all done. I need help working through it.”

It is important to note that just because a Council allocates funds for something, it doesn’t make the expenditures legal. There are plenty of examples of allocated funds being misused. There are also times when additional things must occur, such as bid processes or agreements, to make the expenditures of those funds legal.

Even More Expenses?

But it doesn’t stop there. We recently learned of even more expenses paid for the benefit of the Carencro C’est Bon Seasoning Fest, Inc. The City of Carencro did not divulge these expenses in response to our initial records request on March 18, 2025. We asked for an “Itemized listing of revenues ($123,903.33) generated and expenditures ($151,212.16) incurred regarding the 2024 Carencro C’est Bon Seasoning Festival.”

One source indicated that approximately $50,000 was spent to make Pelican Park “ready” for the C’est Bon Seasoning Festival. When we asked for those, we learned of additional expenses that the City previously DID NOT DISCLOSE. These included:

• $1,509 to Lafayette Materials for fill sand and mulch on November 4, 2024
• $525 to Lafayette Materials for mulch on November 6, 2024
• $1,847.92 to Feed Pro for wheat straw on November 8, 2024

Additional invoices were also provided, reflecting the following payments, which were not specifically recorded as being related to the festival:

• $650 to Lafayette Materials for fill sand on August 14, 2024
• $250 to Lafayette Materials for fill sand on September 27, 2024
• $525 to Lafayette Materials for fill sand on October 22, 2024

Then there was a November 7, 2024, invoice for $12,286.95 from Acadiana Shell & Limestone, Inc. for limestone. The City also expended the labor necessary to spread the limestone. Through its attorney, the City has explicitly indicated that this didn’t have anything to do with the Carencro C’est Bon Seasoning Festival. However, sources have told us that this was an expense necessary to support where the festival bandstand would be set up due to the soft ground. The timing is essential. It was just one day before the festival was to begin.

Staff for the City of Carencro were told in March of this year that there would be a new process in effect to pay festival expenses for 2025. The President of the Carencro C’est Bon Fest, Inc., informed employees of the City of Carencro of the new process. You heard that correctly! A private citizen is directing the employees of the City of Carencro concerning how and when monies can be expended on the festival.

The Legislative Auditor gets involved

The next day, Brad Kolder indicated that he had spoken with the Legislative Auditor and had provided Mayor Clavier with the “minimum steps recommended.” Those steps included: 1) Passing an Ordinance, 2) Drafting a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement, 3) Monitoring the Relationship, and 4) Avoidance of Conflicts of Interest. On April 8, 2025, Mayor Clavier responded by stating:

“We will discuss tonight at our Council Committee meeting and put the introductory ordinance on the agenda for the next Monday’s council meeting.”

The best we can tell is that the Council never introduced or passed any ordinance.

Despite receiving guidance on the proper steps, NO ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED, and NO COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT WAS ENTERED INTO. Regardless, the checks from the City of Carencro to pay for the expenses of this private organization began going out.

• $4,250 to Lil’ Nathan and the Zydeco Big Timers on April 30, 2024
• $2,500 to Hawley Gary, III on April 30, 2024
• $1,750 to K.C. Entertainment on April 30, 2024
• $4,000 to The Chee Weez, LLC on April 30, 2024
• $1,750 to Rusty Metoyer on April 30, 2024
• $1,000 to Lance Johnson on April 30, 2024
• $1,000 to Clay Cormier on April 30, 2024
• $500 to Ryan Foret on April 30, 2024

The City of Carencro continued to pay expenses through November of 2024, totaling $43,197.92.

FACT – All of this was done without a cooperative endeavour agreement.

It was not until January 27, 2025, that Mayor Charlotte Clavier entered into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Carencro C’est Bon Fest, Inc. As though the entering into this agreement after the fact somehow cures or corrects the improper use and expenditure of public funds. The City of Carencro was advised in April of 2024 that they should pass an ordinance, enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement, monitor the relationship, and avoid conflicts of interest. But they didn’t!

Instead, they put the gas pedal to the floor and started writing checks to advance their motives. The fluffy language of “providing a financial benefit to the City and its citizens” is just that—fluff. We are unaware of any demonstrable economic benefit to the City of Carencro. In fact, tens of thousands of dollars were used to support this endeavor that could have otherwise been used to support the core functions of government—roads, water, sewage, police, and fire protection.

The City’s claim of having evaluated the economic benefit appears blatantly false. There was no economic impact study done. If any evaluation was done, it was probably more akin to sitting at the dinner table, having drinks, and dreaming about an extravagant event for the City of Carencro. But it seems like no one was convinced enough to put up their own money to support such a venture. So, they used yours!

At one point, a question was raised to the Mayor as to whether vendors even needed to collect sales tax on purchases. This is quite interesting, considering the festival is supposed to provide an economic benefit to the City. How else would the City benefit economically if it couldn’t collect tax revenues?

Democracy in America

In his 1831 work “Democracy in America,” Alexis de Tocqueville wrote extensively about associations. De Tocqueville remarked:

“In no country in the world has the principle of association been more successfully used, or more unsparingly applied to a multitude of different objects, than in America. Besides the permanent associations which are established by law under the names of townships, cities, and counties, a vast number of others are formed and maintained by the agency of private individuals.”

De Tocqueville would have encouraged an association of like minds to come together, using their own resources to advance their proposition. This was seen as a means of getting things done while keeping the government tightly restrained from overreach and overspending.

The situation in Carencro would have been entirely different if a grassroots group wanted to start a festival and were willing to put up their own money, resources, and time to do so. The issue arises when the government coffers are raided to achieve that end. Using taxpayer money to form a non-profit not owned or controlled by the City of Carencro is a problem. Providing a $40,000.00 zero-interest, non-recourse loan for that same entity is equally problematic. But pretending there was no wrongdoing is something else entirely, and it’s exactly why people don’t trust the government.

Untangling the web

We are still working on untangling this web. There are many more alleged associations and transactions that we have not detailed yet. Why? Because in exercising due diligence, we obtain and review public records. That takes time and effort on both our part and the part of the City officials who are tasked with gathering records that are not readily accessible.

When we provide you with an article, it is sourced from many, if not all, of the same documents we received and were able to review. We make those available for you to review and draw your own conclusions. That’s because, in the end, we’re not asking you to take our word for it. Read the records, follow the money, and then ask yourself if this is how your government should operate.

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