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Voters will give their final answer Tuesday on whether to reinstate a fraction of a penny
sales tax that will pay for continued trash and recycling services.
The proposal would see a 3/10 of one cent tax reinstated, to offset sales tax declines related to the region’s economic slump.
It is the same 3/10 of a one penny trash tax that was approved by voters in 1986. A decade later, the Parish Council lopped 3/10 off, because the parish was awash in sales taxes generated by a then-booming economy.
The plan now is to reinstate the 3/10 of one cent.
Revenues, supporters say, are no longer sufficient to pay for current trash-related services.
If the reinstatement is not passed, they say, trash pickup would drop from two days a week to one and elimination of bulk pickup as well as removal of tree limbs.
“This decision is not up to me or the Council, it is up to the voters,” said Parish President Jimmy Cantrelle. “Voter approval would simply reinstate the three tenths of a penny to the original penny already approved by voters. It would generate enough revenue to pay for current garbage and recycling services next year and for years to come.”
Cantrelle and other officials said that for the average person, the result would be the
addition of three cents to a $10 retail purchase.
“Lafourche residents up and down the bayou enjoy a bounty of natural resources right in their backyards, so most of us are environmentally conscious,” Cantrelle said, in
regard to recycling services that would also be eliminated. “These services support local beautification efforts ranking our communities as some of the top spots to raise a family and retire.”
Opponents say the parish’s pickup service, Progressive, needs to cut back on what they see as unnecessary frills that cost money, such as waste cans that are bigger than they feel are needed.
The issue has resulted in lively social media debate and discussion.
Parish Councilman Jerry LaFont was not shy about publicly expressing his opposition to the tax replacement and is one of the critics who said he is displeased by large waste containers.
Other critics have said they are not voting for the 3/10 of a penny tax replacement because of displeasure with the level of service. Some complain that trash falls out of trucks and litters the roadsides in Golden Meadow and other communities.
After twenty-two years, taxpayers have saved $66,000,000 (sixty-six million dollars) in uncollected taxes. Despite efforts to extend the rollback, revenues are no longer sufficient to pay for current garbage and recycling services utilized by citizens of Lafourche Parish.
Supporters say the 22-year roll-back of the tax has resulted in an estimated $66 million dollars in savings due to taxes that were not collected.
In 2016, Lafourche officials said, the sales tax dedicate to trash pickup and related services brought in about $6.7 million, but that trash expenses were $8.2 million. In 2017 those revenues, parish records showed, decrease to $6.4 million while expenses rose to $8.4 million. Money from other parish projects including drainage and recreation, officials said, has been taken to fill those shortfalls.
Supporters note that with the recent reduction state sales taxes from 5 percent to 4.45 percent, even with the addition of the 3/10 per penny tax will bring the parish sales tax reduced overall by .25 percent.
“The reinstatement is not considered to be a new tax since the tax already exists,” Cantrelle said. “We have considered many options and believe that this option is least costly for taxpayers since user fees are avoided, tourists contribute, and contributions are variable to ones’ level of expenditure. We encourage citizens to vote on Tuesday because every vote counts.”
