Morganza Tax: TLCD begins pitching for tax measure support

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A campaign asking for taxpayer support began last Tuesday.


Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District Executive Director Reggie Dupre set a lineup before members of the South Central Industrial Association. TLCD President Tony Alford followed with the pitch in support of a half-cent sales tax that Terrebonne Parish voters will be asked to either accept or reject during the Congressional general election on Dec. 8.


The measure, intended to raise $180 million, would fund a final levee stretch from Dularge to Gibson and fill gaps among several reaches of the interior Morganza-to-the-Gulf levee and floodgate structure. Completed work would provide the first organized hurricane protection system for Terrebonne Parish.

Any new tax revenue would be additional to an already appropriated $34 million in state monies for storm and land loss protection.


“The tax will [stop being collected] in 28 years,” Dupre said. “That will give us a three-year window to sell 25-year bonds in order to build this project.”


Alford took aim at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He said the corps was designated to oversee Morganza to the Gulf nearly 27 years ago, but noted that repeated studies and their associated costs, along with a lack of federal funding, have not produced any construction by that agency.

“We counted on them being our federal sponsor,” Alford said. “They took an $800 million project [as was the original cost estimate for the system] and turned it into a $10.7 billion project.”


The TLCD president said based on the federal plan, Terrebonne Parish would have had to come up with a 35 percent match – or $3.7 billion – to be entitled to what Congress had already approved.


“What we have built without federal money, a half-cent sales tax will help us build a lot of the rest,” Alford said.

Taking local initiative, Terrebonne voters in 2001 approved a quarter-cent sales tax to fund construction and maintenance of initial levee structures. Taxpayers were asked in 2006 to add an additional one-cent sales tax to the effort. That measure failed by 123 ballots, while construction continued until finances indicated the original tax would not be able to complete this project.

“It is time for us to step up and start covering ourselves and our families … if we want to continue to live here,” Alford said.

The TLCD president challenged the 250 people in attendance to raise their hands if they were willing to succumb to coastal land loss, resulting in part from Gulf storm activity, and move away from coastal Louisiana. No hands were raised. “OK, that’s everybody [that wants to live here],” he said.

Alford said the requested half-cent sales tax would only be used on designated construction projects and would not be carried over to other Morganza expenditures. “It is up to you guys as to if we continue to build or sit back,” he said.

Coastal protection and restoration advocate and South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center Foundation member Juanna Woodard said she generally does not like taxes, but supports this measure.

“I think we should take on this job and do it ourselves,” Woodard said. “I think it is important that we support this tax.”

As an organization, SCIA takes no position regarding taxes. “It is in our bylaws,” SCIA Executive Director Jane Arnette said. “We can inform our members and that’s it.”

Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District Executive Director Reggie Dupre, left, and TLCD President Tony Alford show state Reps. Gordon Dove and Lenar Whitney details about where a requested half-cent sales tax would apply for completing construction on the interior Morganza-to-the-Gulf levee and flood gate system. The TLCD made its pitch for votes last Tuesday before the South Central Industrial Association. The tax measure will go before Terrebonne Parish voters on the Dec. 8 general congressional election. 

MIKE NIXON | TRI-PARISH TIMES