LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / December 6, 2000

HAHNVILLE – St. Charles Parish voters may be able to head off a massivesewer rate increase by approving a proposed one-cent sales tax, proposed by Parish President Albert Laque at Monday’s parish council meeting.

The proposal is part of a package designed to address funding needs for the nearly bankrupt sewerage system and the need to finance a west bank hurricane protection levee. The proposal would split the income down themiddle.

However, the proposal hardly met with universal praise from the council.

Instead, the council voted 5-4 in favor of a non-binding resolution aimed at gauging council support for a proposition which could confront voters as soon as April 7.

Currently, St. Charles Parish pays eight cents on the dollar in sales tax, withfour cents to the state and the remainder divided with one cent to roads and drainage, one-half cent to sewer improvements, three-eighths of a cent to the parish’s General Fund and one-eighth of a cent to volunteer fire departments.

Finance Director Lorrie Toups said the one-cent tax proposed by Laque would raise an estimated $7 million per year, depending upon the annual tax collection.

Toups said the proposed tax, if approved, would enable the wastewater department to postpone a rate hike, estimated between $17 and $38 per month, for several years. In addition, the income would help finance thehurricane protection levee and other drainage needs.

“It’s a way to address both of these issues,” Toups told the council.

Bonding attorney Jerry Osborne also cautioned the council about getting too specific about proposed spending of the income. An amendment fromCouncilwoman April Black to add waterworks to the proposed recipients of the tax income was narrowly voted down.

Osborne also pointed out that the resolution itself did not call for an election, and the council still had room for adjustment on the proposal and plenty of time before making such a call.

“This would relieve the General Fund from us yanking on it all the time,” Councilwoman Dee Abadie added.

Opponents, however, expressed doubts that the tax would accomplish everything as claimed. Councilman Clayton Faucheux said there are a numberof pressing needs which are also high priority which are not addressed with this proposed tax, such as pumping stations for both hurricane protection levees.

“I don’t see it stretching that far,” Faucheux added.

Laque, though, argued that with the tax approved, the parish could borrow against the income and raise more money that way.

Voting for the non-binding resolution were Lance Marino, Desmond Hilaire, Brian Fabre, Dee Abadie and Terry Authement. Voting against were G. “Ram”Ramchandran, Barry Minnich, Clayton Faucheux and April Black.

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