LEONARD GRAY

HAHNVILLE – St. Charles Parish residents go to the polls today to consider a one-cent sales tax proposition which would boost the current sales tax from eight to nine cents on the dollar and make it the highest sales tax in the area. Opposition to the tax’s passage has built, and with a low voter turnout expected the election outcome is anyone’s guess. The estimated $7 million revenue from the increased tax, if approved, would be split evenly between the wastewater department and the hurricane protection program. If the tax is not approved, however, parish officials expect to jack up the wastewater treatment rate to $4.05 per 1,000 gallons for residential customers. The St. Charles Business Association voted recently to oppose the tax’s passage, as did the parish’s Economic Development Commission and the local Republican Party organization. Bob Harrison, president of the business association, observed, “I don’t care where you choose to go shop, they’ve got people cutting coupons for pennies.” Harrison added, “Hopefully, the voters will realize we’re driving a nail in our own coffin, as far as sales tax is concerned.” He continued that local business is already suffering from the new Wal-Mart opening, and this could devastate those businesses. He said with increasing the user fee, people would be more responsible in their water use. On the other hand, Parish President Albert Laque, in spearheading the drive for the tax’s passage, said, “When the council didn’t come up with anything, I had to be the responsible person.” One-half of the revenue from the proposed sales tax would provide the foundation for operations and maintenance for the wastewater department, with the user fee revenue providing the balance. The other half-cent of the sales tax is earmarked for hurricane protection capital projects on the east and west banks. Parish Finance Director Lorrie Toups said if the tax fails the wastewater treatment rate, raised in January from $1.80 to $3.24 per 1,000 gallons for residential use, would stay at its current level. Toups calculated that the burden of the tax would fall upon households with an income of at least $50,000. A total of 6,755 households in the parish have that income, she said. On the other hand, there are 10,451 households with incomes of less than $50,000, all of whom would pay less through the sales tax for sewage treatment than if the tax fails to pass. Laque said those on fixed incomes would benefit with the tax’s passage, while those most able to pay would bear the burden. “I’m cautiously optimistic,” Laque added. The current average utility bill includes $14.25 for water, $11.43 for garbage and $1.77 for recycling, jumped from $43.05 to $53.13, in addition to $25.68 for wastewater treatment. Toups said if the tax fails, the user fee for wastewater treatment would soon hit $4.05 per 1,000 gallons. If the voters approve the tax proposition, the rate will go back to $1.80 per 1,000 gallons, Toups added. And that could improve even more, according to Laque, who said this week, “If the tax passes, we’ll continuously reduce the sewer fee.” He labeled opposing voice as “a bunch of nay-sayers,” and added, “All I want to do is solve the problem.”