PRAIRIEVILLE- Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre said sales tax figures released recently for April are much better than first projected. April is the first month of the full shutdown due to coronavirus.

About one-third of the Ascension Parish Sheriff's budget comes from sales tax revenues. Video and pictures of empty shopping centers left Webre concerned about what April sales tax figures might look like for his budget.

"For April we are down 9.6 percent," Webre said. "We thought it was going to be much higher than that. For March it was down 1.3 percent."

Those deficits equate to about $200,000, but Webre said there is enough in reserves to plug those holes.

Webre said his office's 43 million dollar budget helps cover the expenses and salaries of his nearly 400 deputies. As he prepares for the upcoming fiscal year, they are planning to tighten the belt a bit but he doesn't expect the public to notice those changes.

"I certainly don't intend on cutting any personnel," Webre said. "Right now, we don't plan on cutting any services." ," Webre said. "Right now, we don't plan on cutting any services."