Mayors leery of EBR tax plan

• By SCOTT DYER
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Oct 29, 2008 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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If East Baton Rouge Parish voters approve Mayor-President Kip Holden’s tax package to fund $989 million in projects, sales taxes in Baker will increase to 10 percent, one of the highest rates in the state.

Baker Mayor Harold Rideau said he’s willing to let the residents of Baker make up their own minds about Holden’s proposal when they vote Tuesday.

But Rideau said he’s concerned that if Holden’s plan passes, the proposed half-cent sales tax increase for the next 30 years likely will limit future tax options in his city.

“We’re already at the top. If this passes, there won’t be any room for any additional increases in sales tax,” Rideau said.

Officials in the city of Zachary expressed similar concerns, even though their sales and property taxes aren’t as high as Baker’s.

In Baker, Rideau said he’s concerned that the other tax increase in Holden’s proposal — a 9.9-mill property tax — also will limit future tax options.

Rideau said the city of Baker’s property tax is at 5.43 mills, or almost half of what Holden is proposing. That will also make it difficult to sell any future tax elections in Baker, he said.

Holden said he met with Rideau, Zachary Mayor Henry Martinez and Central Mayor Mac Watts on Monday to discuss the proposal.
Watts could not be reached for comment at his office.

“We basically gave them a overview of the entire proposal. I told them that we weren’t asking for their support, but we felt that they needed to know what was in it,” Holden said.

Holden noted that some projects, like the $208 million in drainage improvements and bridge replacements, will benefit the entire parish.

The proposal would replace 38 bridges that are rated the same or worse than the Minnesota Interstate 35W bridge that collapsed last year, Holden said.

Martinez said Tuesday that only three of the bridges are in the Zachary area.

Holden pointed out that residents of cities such as Zachary and Baker are likely using some of the dangerous bridges outside of the city limits, and could be at risk if a bridge collapses.