LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / May 3, 2000

HAHNVILLE – Propositions in July 15 tax election called in St. Charles Parishinclude doubling the 9-1-1 millage, adding significantly to the library millage and adding a new .65-mill tax toward a new health unit.Land for the new health unit has been located near St. Charles ParishHospital, according to Fred Duplechin, regional administrator for the state Office of Public Health.

“It’s a jewel of a piece of land,” Duplechin said.

However, the parish administration has to act quickly to secure a purchase agreement so that should the millage be approved by voters the land will still be there to buy.

Toward that end, the St. Charles Parish Council voted Monday to enter intonegotiations with the property owner and hopefully secure a purchase agreement contingent upon the millage’s passage.

This move was approved in an 8-1 vote, with Councilman G. “Ram”Ramchandran in opposition.

He commented he would not support any new taxation. “If it’s new taxation, Iwon’t stand for it,” Ramchandran declared.

The July 15 ballot will also include increasing the millage for the 9-1-1 system from 0.49 mills to 1.0 mill. Maj. Sam Zinna of the St. CharlesSheriff’s Office, who also chairs the 9-1-1 board, said the money is needed to pay for the operation and maintenance of the new 800 MHz system recently acquired by the system with help from parish government, sheriff’s office, volunteer fire departments and the parish hospital.

For that system maintenance, an extra $100,000 is needed annually. Also,the millage would pay for adding four new operator positions at an additional station in the 9-1-1 Center in Hahnville.

Ramchandran also opposed this matter and said 88 percent of the tax would be paid for by industry and 35 percent of homeowners who are not homestead-exempt.

“You should cut expenses and manage the funds better,” Ramchandran said.

The library millage increase would support the staffing and equipping of the new St. Rose library branch under development on River Road.The final ballot item is for renewal of the present Road Lighting District millage of 2.69 mills.The total assessed valuation of the parish is $707,929,695, with the taxable assessed valuation being $634,076,403, according to bonding attorney Jerry Osborne.

If approved, Osborne added, the proposed taxes would generate the following annual amounts: 9-1-1 millage would generate $596,000; library millage would generate $2,920,000; health unit millage would generate 4387,000; and road lighting millage would generate $1,603,000.

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