- Two new, dedicated sales taxes passed during the spring election; now, they've gone into effect (July 1).
- “This has been going on for many, many years..."
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
For past four months, KATC's Iberia Parish reporter, Anna Fischer, has heard from the community about things they believe need to be changed. She has also spoken with parish officials about what they are doing to make those changes.
One of the biggest days that helped bring this change, was April 27, spring Election Day. Two new, dedicated sales taxes passed, creating change in the parish sheriff's office, and on unincorporated roads in the parish.
“It allows me to hire on some of the better people," said Iberia Parish Sheriff Tommy Romero. "[To] be a little bit more attractive to the profession of law enforcement."
A quarter of a cent...
“We have a lot of areas in the parish that need better roads," said Iberia Parish President Larry Richard.
...plus three quarters of a cent. Adding a penny on to the parish's sales tax total. The dedicated sheriff's tax (Law Enforcement District Proposition) is a 1/4 cent dedicated sales tax ($0.025), "used to pay costs and expenses of operating and supporting the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office, including paying salaries and benefits of current and any additional law enforcement personnel."
“...which is gonna allow me to use that money for hiring on, pay salaries," Romero explained, "equipment needed to supply the officer--with a firearm, patrol car---you know the equipment that he needs to be outfitted with to do his job.”
With the department short by 6 deputies (5 patrol, 1 correctional division), Romero said they're wasting no time trying to fill positions. The dedicated sheriff's tax is estimated to generate nearly $4 million in one year.
The second tax is a 3/4 of a cent ($0.075) dedicated to fixing roads (Sales Tax District No. 1 Proposition). Hoping to bond almost $17 million, parish president Larry Richard said this tax will help fix roads in the unincorporated parts of the parish.
“This has been going on for many, many years. We've never had a dedicated road sales tax. The biggest problem I think we're gonna have is everyone's gonna wanna see their road done first, and that's not gonna be able to happen."
Working around sugar cane farming season as well, Richard said a system will be put in place.
“The way it's gonna work is a council member's gonna pick roads they wanna see done in their district. It's an agriculture parish; so a lot of the roads that need to be done, we have to be aware of the cane trucks that are gonna be passing, and what time during the year they're gonna be passing. And how we can try to get those road projects done without causing too much of a problem."
