TEDA seeking to take control of Bayou Country Sports Park
June 20, 2018Our View: There’s lots of blame to go around
June 20, 2018
The Nov 6 ballot in Lafourche Parish will have another item, voters will have to consider a sales tax hike for garbage collection.
On Tuesday, the parish council voted 8-1 on a measure to raise the sales tax for garbage collection from .7 cents to a full cent. If voters pass the idea, the tax will generate an estimated $8.5 million beginning Jan 1.
Councilman Jerry LaFont cast the only nea vote. Although he did not offer comment, at past meetings he has stated he is against any tax increases.
Also, no other councilman openly discussed the possible increase.
After Tuesday’s meeting, Parish Finance Director Tommy Lasseigne said
the proposal was a must and necessary.
“We have no choice. Costs are rising but economic revenues are not. Next year we could be looking at a $2.5 million shortfall,” Lasseigne said.
Also, he said the proposed measure, if passed, would not affect sales tax within the City of Thibodaux, as residents there pay a flat fee for garbage collection.
The Nov 6 ballot will also include: the Lafourche Parish School Board Race, the City of Thibodaux Mayoral and Council Race, the Lafourche Parish Port Commission Race, as well as a variety of state races: La. Secretary of State, a Public Service District 2 race, and a Judge, Court of Appeal 1st Circuit Race.
It will also include U.S. Congressional House Races.
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In fiscal matters, the council in a 6-3 vote, to defeat an ordinance that was offered by Councilman Daniel Lorraine for the administration, to de-obligate budget balances of all projects that have had no activity in three or more years. This was in order to free up monies to be used elsewhere, according to the administration.
However, Councilmen Armand Autin, Jones, LaFont, Bo Melvin, Corey Perrilioux and Luci Sposito voted against it, while Councilmen Daniel Lorraine, Michael Gros and James Bourgeois voted for it.
In other business, the council:
*Passed a resolution for the Lafourche Parish Head Start to submit a grant application in the amount of $74,392 ($55,794 for Federal and $18,598 for Non-Federal requirements) for the purpose of a cost of living adjustment for all Lafourche Parish Head Start Staff.
*Passed a resolution accepting the low quote of $32,595 for the purchase of one portable building to be used as a surgical suite at the Lafourche Parish Animal Shelter. Vidrine’s Portable Buildings LLC of Prairieville, La., won the bid.
*Introduced an ordinance reducing the speed on Mars Street from 20 miles per hour to 15.
*Approved a memorandum of understanding between Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, the Foster Grandparents program and Lafourche Parish to place volunteer foster grandparents at the parish’s summer recreation programs.
In appointments, the Council approved the following: Greg Gaubert to the Lafourche Parish Tourist Commission; Amy Delatte to the Fire Protection District No. 8-B Board; and Jonathan Cortez to the Fire Protection District No. 8-A Board.
However in another move, they voted to appoint and voted against appointing Brent Abadie, the parish Risk Manager and Director of Homeland Security, to different committees.
The council voted 6-3 to appoint Abadie to the parish Economic Development Committee. Councilmen Jones, LaFont and Perilloux voted against the appointment, while Councilmen Lorraine, Bourgeois, Sposito, Melvin, Autin and Gros voted for it. That was item 40 on the agenda.
Item 41 however, was to appoint Abadie to the Home Rule Charter Revision Commitee. Voting for his appointment were Councilmen Bourgeois and Lorraine, while Councilmen Sposito, Gros, Autin, Perrilloux, Jones, LaFont and Melvin voted against it.
Councilman Lorraine insinuated during the meeting, that Sposito was trying to control who was appointed to that committee; but while ignoring his comment, Sposito said she felt members of the charter committee should not be parish employees.
After the meeting, Abadie said the denial of his appointment, questions his citizenship rights.
“Miss Sposito made a statement that she didn’t feel like employees should be a part of the Home Rule Charter Committee. Apparently their citizenship rights aren’t equal to everybody else here,” Abadie said.
“However, I am on the economic development committee, which is good, because I’m working on a $40 million construction project for our parish,” he said.
