Nothing is cheap: The JBE Transition Team LLC, which is overseeing the shift in power from Gov. Bobby Jindal to Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards, will need at least $2 million and as much as $3 million to carry out its duties—and a large chunk of that amount or more will be raised on a single evening next week, LaPolitics reports. The limited liability company was registered with the Secretary of State’s Office on Nov. 23, but it must have its work done by second full week of January. At the Windsor Court in New Orleans on Friday, 100 people are expected to present bundled donations of $10,000 each. Some participants say they have already exceeded that amount. Some business organizations are likewise reaching out to their members to raise money for the transition effort. The transition team is also expected to make a few more appeals for online donations leading up to the Jan. 11 inauguration.
Double down: Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne will double his state paycheck when he takes over as Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards’ commissioner of administration when the new governor is sworn in on Jan. 11. The Associated Press reports that Dardenne’s new role comes with a salary of $237,500. That’s a sizable pay boost from his current $115,000 salary as a statewide elected official, established in state law. Dardenne’s salary also will be higher than what term-limited Gov. Bobby Jindal pays his commissioner of administration: $204,400, according to civil service data. Edwards spokesman Richard Carbo says the governor-elect is evaluating cabinet secretary salaries on “a case-by-case basis and making adjustments, in either direction, where he sees fit.” Edwards’ revenue secretary pick, Kimberly Robinson, will make $250,000, the same salary her predecessor receives.
New ground: Workers are expected to break ground around Jan. 1 in Prairieville on Hidden Cove, a 35-lot custom residential subdivision off La. 44 between Parker and Germany roads. Corbin Ladner of Corbin Ladner Custom Homes says he plans to build custom 2,000 to 2,400-square-foot homes on 35 lots on a 12-acre tract he purchased for $200,000 on Oct. 30. The lots will be roughly 70 feet by 135 feet and sell for between $68,000 to $74,000. Ladner’s company will build about one-third of the homes, while other local custom home builders have committed to building on the other lots. “There is a demand for custom-built homes in this size range and in this area,” Ladner says in a statement. “People love the schools in Ascension, and many folks are looking for ‘custom built communities’ where they can move up from starter homes.”
