St. Landry Parish Proposing Sales Tax to Fix Roads
In St Landry Parish, the state of some roads is often a hot button issue.
Tonight the St Landry Parish Council will address it. The council will discuss an introductory proposal to call for a two-cent sales tax. Money generated from that tax would be designated for road construction in rural areas of the parish and those areas are the only areas the tax would be collected.
Some drivers hope the tax is the end of the bumpy ride. St Landry Parish has more than 800 miles of roadways and parish leaders say most in the rural areas need a complete overhaul."They come there and throw a little asphalt on top the road and that don't last for nothing," said Keith Thibodeaux, an upset driver.
Twenty miles per hour is the speed limit on the majority of the back roads, but the conditions are so bad you can only go five to ten miles per hour or you'll tear up your car.
"They got holes on these roads you could sink a truck in," said Thibodeaux.
Filling in potholes just a band-aid, but the only way to keep some roads passable.
"Today you pass and its very bumpy and then tomorrow you pass and most of these patches pop right out of the hole," said Parish Councilman Timmy Lejeune.
The Parish has looked at other options, but this is the end of the road. Timmy Lejeune says this dedicated two cent tax must pass.
"Your money is going to stay on your parish roads, it's a dedicated fund it goes directly to reconstruct, not patch, not fix pot holes. reconstruct, rebuild to the roads you used to have," said Lejeune.
The sales-tax issue being discussed tonight is only an introductory proposal. If it's supported by the council, an ordinance would have be passed to place the tax on the november ballot. If approved by voters, road work can begin early next year.
Chris Welty
cwelty@katctv.com
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