Lafourche council nixes property tax hike; rates to remain the same

The Lafourche Parish Council voted down a proposed tax increase last Tuesday, meaning residents will continue to pay $14.5 million in property taxes as they have for the past eight years.

Council members shot down the set of proposals that, if passed, would have allowed them to increase property-tax revenue by more than $500,000 per year, according to the Lafourche Parish Assessor’s Office.

Prior to the council vote, Ronnie Winston, a Realtor from Thibodaux, was among the few residents in attendance who objected to the tax hikes. She said the parish government is playing a “numbers game” rather than focusing on the needs of the people.

“People are hurting in this parish,” Winston said. “It’s easy to say that we need the money, but the people in the parish need the money to repair their homes and take care of their families.”

Most council members agreed; hence the 8-1 and 7-2 votes against the tax hikes. Councilman Phillip Gouaux and Councilman Mike Delatte were the only two in favor of the increase.

“The parish may need the money, but I think the situation with the hurricanes has the people suffering,” said Councilman Daniel Lorraine. “I think it’s time we don’t raise the taxes and bite the bullet for once and give these people a break.”

Parish President Charlotte Randolph said she was in a favor of a break for residents because of the storms. However, she noted that the hurricanes revealed the parish’s weaknesses in the area of flood protection. Immediate attention is needed, she said.

“Yes, this is a perfect time to say ‘Cut taxes because of the storms,’ but we need improvements in the parish,” she said. “The only way to accomplish this is with money.”

Randolph told the council that many other parishes have rolled their taxes to the max despite the rise in gasoline prices and the costs of transacting business.

Shortly after council members shot down the first proposal, Randolph said their decision meant she’d be forced to remove $600,000 worth of projects from the current budget.

Council members questioned why money they didn’t have was already set aside in the budget, but they were given no clear answer.

Council members who were in favor of nixing the tax hike suggested that if the government needs money later, it can put a tax proposal on the ballot.

“If we do this for the people now, we can go back later if we need the money,” said Councilman Lindel Toups. “I can guarantee that if we raise taxes now, when it comes to possibly getting a tax for a new jail or fixing drainage in the parish the people are not going to vote for it.”

According to the parish’s assessor’s office, the opportunity to raise taxes is a once-in-a-four-year chance that comes following reappraisals, when property values statewide typically rise. The maximum amount the parish can raise millages in the future will drop unless they take advantage of the tax hikes every four years.

Gouaux said that was among his top reasons for voting in favor of the measure.

“We have not increased taxes since 2000. The parish has been sticking to the status quo and if we don’t roll them this year then we lose them,” he said. “Hopefully the five star committee will put the millages in the right places so that this won’t happen again.”