Rest of the levee story

Published 6:00 am Sunday, October 29, 2017

I find it very interesting that both the Levee District and Acadiana Flood Protection Coalition (the groups pushing to build a levee in the southern part of Iberia Parish) downplay the fact that property owners of Iberia Parish would pay substantially more property tax if the tax proposition passes on Nov. 18. Yep, you read that right. Property owners will pay the cost of building the levee by way of a huge property tax increase.

Make no mistake, the “5 mills” increase that the Levee District will have on the ballot is in fact a property tax increase. Who will this affect? Everyone who owns property and even those who rent or lease. If you rent or lease, your landlord will more than likely just pass the tax increase along to you. So even if you don’t own property, you still pay.

The Levee District expects to receive $2,900,000 per year from this proposed property tax. If you break that down by the month, the Levee District will be taking $241,666 per month more in additional property taxes from property owners of Iberia Parish. That’s not chump change, folks. It is a lot of money. A lot of money, especially when many Iberia Parish families are struggling to make ends meet, as a result of the downturn in our local economy. Oh, and by the way, that $241,666 per month for the next 30 years, that only the Levee District can spend.

This proposed levee project is not only poorly planned, it is also premature. There are many issues and concerns that have not been addressed. Why should the people of Iberia Parish pay a property tax for the cost of a levee that may never be built? There is no guarantee that we will ever receive the state or federal funding to actually build a levee, so why is the Levee District trying to pass a tax? Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse? If the tax passes and the levee is never built, who gets your money for the next 30 years?

A levee could affect the delicate balance of the eco system. Has the Levee District done a real environmental study to assess how this will affect our marshes and waterways? Isn’t it strange that the Levee District is selling this as part of a coastal restoration project when it is not being built on the coast, but rather north of the Intracoastal Canal? Some of those in favor of the tax claim that the levee will reduce insurance rates. I ask you, in your lifetime have you ever seen an insurance company reduce rates?

Now is not the time to increase property taxes in Iberia Parish. I hope you agree and vote NO on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017.

Patrick T. Caffery Jr.

New Iberia