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So you
want to increase Parish sales Tax to upgrade Roads?
Revised 8/19/06
On November 7th, rural residents of Jeff Davis Parish will get to decide whether or not to accept a 2% sales and use tax increase for the construction, repair and upgrading of parish roads. It is estimated over the first 5 years the jury would net $22 Million. This is based on past tax collections in rural areas which would grow as more people continue to move into the parish. Where did this 2% number come from? According to Jury President Donald Woods, “The Police Jury has not yet drawn up a list for road repairs or construction and could not yet estimate the mileage of roads that need work.” If the Police Jury has not drawn up a “project list”, then we don’t know how much money we need to make the repairs that are needed! Which circles back to the same question…Where did the 2% come from? It appears it came out of the air just like the proposed project list that is going to get thrown together between now and the November election. Which of course will litter this paper as we draw closer to the election. Timing is everything! Juror Robert Broussard pointed out that taxes in the rural areas have not changed in 20 years. It begs the questions, has the total tax dollars collected against the existing rate increased? Are you getting more tax dollars today than you were 20 years ago? I think the answer will undercut Mr. Broussard’s statement. According to Broussard, “residents enjoy a 6% tax rate, compared with an average of 8.5% for most municipalities.” The rural residents of the parish do not want to compare their tax rates with local municipalities because it is not a fair comparison. Lets compare it to other rural districts in other parishes. The fact that rural residents enjoy a 6% tax rate is causing our elected officials to foam at the mouth. Our local politicians will not stop until this 6% is brought up to 8.5%. Every time you look up, each one of the political subdivisions are taking a crack at getting that 2%. It’s just the Police Jury’s turn again.
This is the same Police Jury, that denied a zoning requests for a business in Fenton that could give a small shot in the arm to tax collections, and a jury that fights against cellular towers from being erected around the parish, which would modernize communications and would be a source of revenue for the parish. The same Jury, which has turned over control of the air space of our parish and gave broad powers to the Mosquito Control District. The same Jury that unanimously supports the idea of confiscating your land through “expropriation” for a wide and undefined term called “economic development”. This is the same Police Jury that voted to make residents, seeking to gain access to their property, pay for their culvert installations at an exorbitant rate. And the same Police Jury that responded to complaints from a resident building a $300,000.00 home who had to pay a $500 permit fee against his neighbor who built a barn and did not pay a permit fee. It’s the same Police Jury that voted to support the tourist commission in it’s effort to side-step parish voters and extended a tax to others in the parish, that only Ward 2 voters (Jennings) voted in years ago. The same Police Jury that took a step toward attacking ownership rights over a pet tiger. The same Jury that seems to think pesticide spraying in Fenton near a proposed motocross park is unsafe, but near everyone's home, it doesn't seem to be an issue. The same Police Jury that has been flexing it's muscles against parish residents in an effort to appease others has now come with their hand out.
This is a second trip around on the 2% merry-go-round. A few years ago, there was a proposal for a tax that would blacktop the gravel roads of the parish. It didn’t get off the ground. This is the same effort with no promises of blacktop. I’m not against repair of roads. I am just against the current plans to achieve that means, and my voting reaction to what I identify as, previous ordinances that have attack personal liberties.
Parish Bonding Attorney Lonnie Bewley stated that the expected 22 Million would grow as more people move into the parish. Jury President Donald Woods stated that “we’ve got to do something we’ve got a lot of people coming into the rural areas of the parish, building homes and subdivisions”. Why then, do they make it sound like the existing growth is not increasing tax dollars with the current rate? For those of you who think your going to get blacktop roads, only need to drive down Grand Marais and you will see the kind of road you will get! The police Jury wants 22 Million for a project they haven’t identified yet. No information on homes per mile, traffic flow, miles of gravel vs blacktop needed or any other data has been produced. That data will be pulled out of thin air just like the 2% - $22 Million was. On top of everything else it was mentioned that out of the 22+ million, none of the money will be earmarked for salaries for the parish road workers. Was this supposed to be some big “vote-getting” gesture? Does that mean the bulk of the 22 million will be earmarked for out of parish/out of state contractors? That’s going to help the local economy how? We’ll have plenty of money for materials for roads, but we just won’t have any workers to put it down, because the jury didn’t secure any money for them on a substantial 2% tax hike. Sounds like a well thought out plan! Want to take a guess at what my vote will be?