Thibodaux half-cent sales tax increase heads to vote March 2016

Lawman believed everyone deserved a 2nd chance
September 9, 2015
Lawman believed everyone deserves a second chance
September 10, 2015
Lawman believed everyone deserved a 2nd chance
September 9, 2015
Lawman believed everyone deserves a second chance
September 10, 2015

Thibodaux voters will decide whether to approve a half-cent sales tax increase in order to bolster the city budget.


Should voters approve the measure, it would represent the first tax increase in Thibodaux in more than three decades.

Sales taxes within Thibodaux’s limits would rise from 8.45 to 8.95 cents on the dollar. Four cents are collected by the state.

That half-cent increase represents a projected $2.4 million dollars, according to parish officials.


Thibodaux Mayor Tommy Eschete said the city isn’t generating enough tax revenue to pay for capital projects like road repairs or infrastructure improvements.

“In the last four years, I did a lot of evaluation of our budget and we’ve reduced the budget to a level where it is as lean as possible,” Eschete said. “If we don’t pass the tax, the world’s not going to stop turning, but we are going have to look seriously at reducing our level of service.”

Eschete said the sales tax hasn’t been increased in more than 30 years. A stagnant budget teamed with rising construction prices has caused the city to look for project funds elsewhere.


“We’re highly dependent on grants and partnerships with the state and federal government and those funds just aren’t available anymore,” Eschete said.

The problem, according to Thibodaux City Council Chairman Lloyd “Chip” Badeaux, is the tax hasn’t been increased since the ’80s and inflation has continued to devalue those collected tax dollars.

If the tax isn’t passed, Badeaux said, some positions in the city government must be eliminated.


Eschete said the proposed tax increase was suggested by a group of 30-or-so civic and business leaders in Thibodaux he tasked with determining whether they preferred a tax increase or reduction in services.

He said they agreed that they didn’t want a reduction in governmental services offered by Thibodaux government and would

support a sale tax increase.


According to Badeaux, state law limits the amount a municipality can levy in sales taxes to four-and-a-half cents without special approval from the state.

Voters will decide on the tax during the March 5, 2016, special election. On that day, voters will decide who will represent the Democratic and Republican parties in the presidential election and also on term limits.

Should voters pass the tax, the revenue from the increase won’t be seen in the city’s coffers until July or August.


Thibodaux Mayor Tommy Eschete said without increasing sales taxes, the City of Thibodaux will have to cut services offered to residents.

FILE | THE TIMES