BATON ROUGE – A new member of the EBR Council on Aging's oversight board said mistakes have been made in the agency's operation, but the board will work harder to make sure procedures are followed.

Jennifer Moisant, the new chairwoman of the COA board, acknowledged the mistakes in a letter to taxpayers.

The Council has drawn additional scrutiny since a controversial property tax was narrowly approved in 2016 to fund services for the elderly.

The tax passed amid a scandal involving the council's participation in promoting the tax. Later, the Council on Aging director was involved in a public and bitter legal fight over the estate of a deceased client. Some city officials questioned the agency's management and as of last week, were discussing the possibility of allowing other agencies to handle spending tax money for elderly affairs.  The WBRZ News 2 Investigative Unit broke details of the situations and has been reporting on allegations of problems since 2016. 

Moisant said the board takes seriously its obligation to care for elders and to manage public resources appropriately.

“Our efforts have been imperfect,” she wrote. “Mistakes have been made, and problems have obscured the Council’s good work. In response, the Council has reviewed and revised policies, procedures, and practices to facilitate greater transparency and guarantee accountability. That effort is ongoing and continuous.”

Read the entire message HERE.

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