Rapides Parish sits in the geographic center of Louisiana, about 1,362 square miles with a population of 130,023 as of the 2020 census. Its parish government is a police jury — one of the parishes that kept the traditional form rather than adopting a home rule charter. Here is how it is built and what it actually controls. Rppj

Nine members, nine districts

The Rapides Parish Police Jury has nine members, called jurors, each elected from a single-member district lettered A through I. They serve four-year terms, and each year they elect one of their own as president.

As of 2026, the jurors are:

The president presides over meetings and serves as head of the parish government.

When and where it meets

The jury meets at the Rapides Parish Courthouse, 701 Murray Street, Suite 201, second floor, in the Police Jury Meeting Room in Alexandria. It generally holds a committee meeting on the first Monday of the month and its regular monthly meeting on the second Monday, though dates shift around holidays. Meetings are supposed to be streamed live on the jury's YouTube channel, but their channel has no content.

What it controls — and what it doesn't

This is the part residents most often get wrong. The police jury is only one piece of parish government. Louisiana deliberately fragments local power among several independently elected officials, and the jury does not command them.

The police jury runs: parish roads and bridges through its Public Works department; drainage; the parish treasury and budget; sales and use tax collection for the parish and many municipalities (Alexandria collects its own); fire protection districts; Cotile Lake recreation; the courthouse and jail buildings; and workforce and economic development programs. It appoints members to boards and commissions, including seats on the England Authority.

The police jury does not run:

  • The Sheriff — separately elected, runs law enforcement and the jail and serves as the parish's chief tax collector.
  • The Assessor — separately elected, sets property valuations.
  • The Clerk of Court — separately elected, keeps court and land records.
  • The District Attorney — separately elected (Ninth Judicial District).
  • The School Board — separately elected, runs public schools.
  • The cities of Alexandria and Pineville — separately governed municipalities with their own mayors and councils.

The jury funds facilities and shares some administrative costs for several of these offices, which is why they appear in parish audits as "component units," but it does not direct how they do their jobs.

The money

The Rapides Parish Police Jury adopts an annual appropriated budget on a calendar-year basis and is audited annually. Its General Fund reported about $11.2 million in revenue and $7.8 million in expenses in its most recent audit, with a fund balance of about $8.4 million — roughly $7.7 million of it unrestricted. Across all of its governmental funds, the parish reported about $94.5 million restricted for statutory or bonded-debt purposes. Its Parish Treasurer runs a central accounting, budgeting, and purchasing system.

How to take part

The jury's meetings are public. Under the Open Meetings Law, the agenda is posted at least 24 hours ahead on the meeting room door and on the jury's website. The public may comment before the jury votes on an action item, but the jury may adopt reasonable rules for how public comment works.

Records are public under La. R.S. 44:1 et seq. and can be requested from the parish custodian. The jury's administrative office is at 701 Murray Street, Suite 201, Alexandria; the mailing address is P.O. Box 1150, Alexandria, LA 71309; the phone is (318) 473-6660.

Accountability box: The Rapides Parish Police Jury

  • What it is: The legislative and executive governing body of Rapides Parish, operating under the police jury form of parish government.
  • Who serves / how many: Nine jurors, one from each district (A through I).
  • Who elects them: Voters of each district, by open primary; the jurors elect a president annually.
  • Term length: Four years.
  • Budget/revenue: General Fund of about $11.2 million in revenue against $7.8 million in expenses in the most recent audited year; funded by property and sales taxes, fees, and state and federal funds. Audited annually by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor.
  • When and where it meets: Committee meeting typically the first Monday and regular meeting the second Monday of each month, Police Jury Meeting Room, Rapides Parish Courthouse, 701 Murray Street, Suite 201, Alexandria; streamed on YouTube.
  • Where agendas/minutes are posted: On the meeting room door and at rppj.com; minutes are public records.
  • How to request records: Written request to the parish custodian; Rapides Parish Police Jury, P.O. Box 1150, Alexandria, LA 71309, (318) 473-6660.