LIVINGSTON — Livingston Parish Library Board of Control members approved a 2025 budget on Tuesday with substantial reductions to several programs.

The budget slashes funding for the book festival, comic con and security. Spending on E-books also took a significant hit. The budget for E-books dropped from $115,000 to $90,000 and funding for electronically available videos, music, and magazines was also eliminated.

Overall, there was a 36% decrease in E-content — a $101,500 cut.

Livingston Parish Councilmember Ricky Goff said the budget cuts do not benefit the parish.

"It doesn't make sense to cut all of these things," Goff said, "I know where we are at, and I know where we are now, we don't need to go backward."

Since the meeting Tuesday, Control Board member Larry Davis released this statement on the Board's Facebook account, saying he will always advocate for responsible spending and calling many in the crowd at the meeting political activists who were raising fear.

Goff said it is now up to the Livingston Parish Council to resolve the issue and hopes that the council will be able to address the issue soon.

"The council members are the one who makes the appointments to the board. The board is what is because of our makeup, so the board as council members need to look and evaluate to get this on the working level," Goff said.

No board members were available for comment Thursday.