OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY)- BREAKING OVERNIGHT: The city of Opelousas has approved a budget for the current fiscal year.

Tensions escalated as council members went back and forth trying to come to a final agreement, which they didn’t reach until after 10 P.M. last night.

The ongoing saga of budget problems in Opelousas started last year when it took until February for a budget to be approved.

In September Mayor Reggie Tatum became frustrated when a budget for this fiscal year could not be approved, citing it was the exact same budget from February with an additional 2.5% raise required by civil service law.

But last night, a budget was agreed upon and now he says the city of Opelousas can move ahead with their plans to grow the city.

“We… we’ve been talking to some major investors that’s looking to come to Opelousas and I hope that once they see we’ve passed a budget, and once they see some of these improvements that we have on the plans, on the burners, that they’re going to really want to come because … that’s what’s missing from Opelousas, said Mayor Reggie Tatum. That’s the only… you know it’s almost like a tender that’s going to light a fire. It’s that, we get this done and we make some major improvements and everybody’s going to want to come to Opelousas,” he added.

Now that the budget has passed, Mayor Reggie Tatum says he hopes the city of Opelousas can see major growth like other cities here in Acadiana.