The Vernon Parish Police Jury is responsible for a wide variety of functions. Your Police Juror has many responsibilities and considerable authority with reference to the operation of the business of the Parish. Consequently, every citizen should become as familiar as possible with our system so that the most qualified persons will be elected to promote the common interests of the Parish.

In Vernon Parish the Police Jury has appointed a Secretary/Treasurer to manage the overall financial and administrative operations of the Parish. In order to facilitate an orderly handling of specific issues, police juries commonly appoint standing committees to review items prior to consideration by the full body. The VPPJ has 12 standing committees: Personnel, Finance, Highway/Road Construction, Parish Capital Properties, Rural Fire Protection, Parish Equipment, Permit and Claims, Solid Waste, Economic Development and Planning, Subdivision, Wildlife and Lakes, Public Works, & Ways & Means.

In regular or special meetings the Police Jury authorizes new projects, receives recommendations from the various standing and special committees and takes action thereon, receive reports from the various Parish departments take action as required. It adopts ordinances and resolutions which regulate many matters affecting public safety, health, convenience and good order of the Parish, and takes all other action incidental and necessary for Vernon Parish as a whole.

The Police Jury performs several executive functions. It is the administrator of public property which belongs to the Parish. The parish government is responsible for construction or maintenance and/or financial support for the Parish Courthouse, Sheriff’s Office and Jail, Historic Courthouse, Parish Government Complex, Tax Assessor, Registrar of Voters, Clerk of Court, Library, County Agent, Heath Unit, Animal Shelter, Landfill and Trash Pickup, Parish Public Works, Coroner, Fire Protection, Recreation and Parks, Waterworks and many other areas in the parish.  Other duties of the Police Jury include such things as maintenance of the parish road, bridge and drainage system, regulation of traffic and speed limits on parish roads, adoption of subdivision regulations, and maintenance of parish parks. The Police Jury promotes economic development and tourism in their parish, regulate various business activities and administer numerous state and federal programs on the parish level.  The Police Jury is also responsible for establishing precinct boundaries for election purposes and the polling place for voting within each precinct.