Morganza gets $25M state infusion

Gov. Bobby Jindal increased the amount of state money being dedicated to Morganza-to-the-Gulf by designating $25 million of his new budget as a priority-five status, which means it is a cash credit line available in fiscal year 2013. Securing those funds now requires legislative approval.

The $25 million allotment awarded last week was joined by another $1.5 million in state priority two funding (a non-cash credit line) for a total $26.5 million in new money allowing the signing of construction contracts. A year ago, Jindal approved $10 million in support for Morganza.

“I’m ecstatic about it,” state Rep. Gordon Dove said. “It looks like we can go ahead and start building the Little Caillou floodgate.”

Dove (R-Houma) is chairman of the Natural Resources Committee. He called the securing of these funds as a cooperative effort by regional delegates. “We just kept after it and got the largest hurricane protection capital outlay this year,” he said.

“This funding will make south Louisiana’s tourism and entertainment industries more competitive, help us to continue to transform the delivery of health care services and improve hurricane protection for our coastal communities,” Jindal said in a news release.

While Morganza funding efforts were taking place in Baton Rouge, the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District formed a Morganza Funding Task Force, which will examine local initiatives that include asking Terrebonne Parish residents to approve a half-cent sales tax increase to help finance ongoing hurricane protection construction.

“Any money raised from this half-cent sales tax would be spent only in Terrebonne Parish,” Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District Executive Director Reggie Dupre said. “This would finish funding the lower reaches [of Morganza].”

Dupre said that if the task force pursues the sales tax it would come with an expiration date.

The TLCD already gains on a quarter-cent sales tax dedicated to Morganza protection that generates about $6 million per year. It also collects on a 4.89-mill property to help finance operations and maintenance.

“We could keep getting money from the state, but you can only get so much a year,” Dove said. “If we could raise a half-cent sales tax we could wrap up the first level of Morganza and start going from 12 feet to 15 feet [on levee construction].”

Dove and Dupre said a half-cent sales tax would generate $100 million in bonds, which could result in completing a large portion of the levee system in three years.

“We will still get state money,” Dove said. “We just want to hurry up and get the people of Terrebonne protected.”

The Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District Board of Commissioners has become increasingly critical of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and even Congress blocking federal funds for hurricane protection. Levee District Chairman Tony Alford has said on several occasions that it is up to the people of Terrebonne Parish “to protect ourselves.”

Dupre said an initial public meeting for the Morganza Funding Task Force is set for tomorrow in the Terrebonne Parish Government Tower Council Chamber at 5 p.m.

“Everything we are building now is paid for,” Dove said. “We just need money to keep going.”