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A proposal for an increase in Terrebonne Parish school taxes is drawing its first formal opposition, from business leaders who say there is not enough detail for spending in the plan to merit their support.
Voters will decide May 5 whether the tax should rise from the current 9.27 mills now assessed to 40.27 mills. That will bring the school tax cost for a home assessed at $100,000 to around $77 per year.
Terrebonne schools chief Philip Martin has been shopping his proposal to fraternal organizations and business groups, presenting a package for using the money that he maintains will increase the margin of success for students, as well as modernize school buildings, provide more money for teachers and other professionals, and improve security.
The new millage would have a 10-year sunset.
Opposition to the increase has become evident for weeks, but the first big salvo aimed at Martin’s plan came last week, when the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce issued a statement criticizing the plan for being short on specifics, and therefore not worthy of support at this time.
Noting that the proposal would more than quadruple property taxes paid by businesses and homeowners from around $7.5 million collectively to $25 million, Chamber director Jennifer Armand said support from her organization for the proposal in its present form is impossible.
“The Chamber recognizes and appreciates the current challenges of the Terrebonne Parish School District, especially in the face of increased cuts and mandates from the state and federal government,” Armand said. “We also believe that the best way to meet these challenges of growing a top performing school system is to plan first and tax second. Without a detailed implementation plan, budget, and measurable outcomes demonstrating how this significant tax increase will further strengthen the school system, the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce cannot support the $25 million annual tax increase proposed by the School Board.”
Armand said the decision was reached after discussion by several Chamber committees. A Chamber Education committee floated the proposal to oppose at the organization’s regular March meeting “due to lack of a detailed budget and implementation plan.”
Business owners, a statement from the Chamber says, had sought to help develop a different funding mechanism to meet what needs the school system has, but that it was rejected.
“We understand the tremendous value of a strong and successful education system to the continued growth and prosperity of our community,” Armand said. “After all, it is this system that educates our own children, our employees’ children, and the future business leaders of our community. Chamber members have told us that a tax without a detailed plan does not provide the level of accountability needed to assure them that the increased revenue will adequately fill the instructional, staffing and infrastructure needs of the school system. We owe it to the 19,000 students, 2,300 school system employees, and property owners throughout our parish to push for development of a detailed plan and acceptable funding mechanism that can be championed by the business community and property owners, and will address these needs for many years to come.”
Martin said he is at a loss to understand the criticism, and that in his estimation the information provided for now on how the money would be spent should be sufficient for voters to make an informed decision.
“We are going to build a school in Bayou Black,” he said, referring to one of several construction proposals that would be paid for with the tax increase. “I don’t know the color of the brick,. The concept of closing three schools, building a school and then estimating a dollar amount, such as for a new Southdown Elementary, what detail is lacking in that? If we say we are going to add a wing to Mulberry, those are all things that are defined. It mystifies me as to what detail is missing. I can’t explain in more detail if we say as part of the plan all schools will be renovated and remodeled and state of the art security installed, as well as expansion of pre-kindergarten.”
Martin appeared stung by the opposition, stating that he had initially detected support from the business community when the plan was first discussed.
His plans for spending, including about $20 million for each of the new schools he proposes and about $12 million for a renovation, Martin said, should speak for themselves and at this point not require further detail. Spending on staff salary increases coupled with other changes he would like to see in the school system indicate needs that go beyond what the millage will allow.
But bringing Terrebonne Parish up to par with the rest of Louisiana, Martin said, is a clear step in the right direction.
In many of his presentations, Martin has used a comparison approach, noting that the 9.27 mills charged by Terrebonne currently pales to the average school millage in Louisiana of 40.52.
“Terrebonne Parish ranks last in Louisiana per-pupil expenditures,” Martin said, adding that the average age of school buildings in Terrebonne Parish is 60 years. “Residents of Terrebonne Parish pay more to have their garbage collected, which is 11.21 mills, than they do for schools.”
