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Story Archives: Mayo touts tax initiatives; Monroe Chamber of Commerce endorses measures


Mayo touts tax initiatives; Monroe Chamber of Commerce endorses measures
by Michael DeVault - posted Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008 @ 9:36 pmE-mail Story E-mail Story | Print Story Print Story 
A failure of any one of the five property tax renewals the City of Monroe is asking voters to approve could spell disaster for services the taxes fund, according to Mayor Jamie Mayo.

Monroe voters will decide the fate of six property tax proposals -- five renewals and one new tax -- when they go to the polls Nov. 4, which is the same election day as the presidential race.

Mayo said each of the taxes is dedicated to specific functions in the city. Without funding, city departments that are responsible for carrying out those functions could suffer.

"They are essential because these mils are already on the books, funding services in those critical areas," Mayo said. "Failures of these millage renewals would mean the loss of revenue for a number of critical services like the civic center complex, the police and fire departments and for infrastructure repairs like fixing the roof at city hall."

The six property tax proposals on the Nov. 4 ballot range from a 1-mil tax for improvements at the Monroe Regional Airport to 3.25 mills for capital improvements.

"Any one of the renewals would put us in a tight spot if they weren't renewed," Mayo said.

Mayo defended the sole new tax, a measure to help pay for the construction of a new terminal at Monroe Regional Airport. He pointed out the city had cut property taxes elsewhere.

"We eliminated the ad valorem tax for the city court and moved that to the airport," Mayo said. "So on the new airport tax, it's really only a .4-mill increase over previous years for something that could be of great benefit to the people of this entire region."

If approved, the airport tax would generate approximately $380,000 a year, according to Ouachita Tax Assessor Rich Bailey.

The Monroe Chamber of Commerce reviewed all six of the tax proposals. The Monroe chamber endorsed the tax propositions, according to Bob Griffin, chairman of the chamber.

"We were appreciative of their willingness to meet with us, to share information and to answer our questions," Griffin said. "The five renewals are necessary for the city to continue to provide the services that the business community has come to expect."

"We were especially interested in the proposed new 1-mill tax for the construction of a new terminal," said Griffin. "The business community is probably the largest consumer of local air service and the quality of our terminal is critically important to both our existing business leaders and those visiting our area in reference to economic development."

Griffin agreed that improvements to the Monroe Regional Airport facility could be a benefit to the region.

"The business community is probably the largest consumer of local air service and the quality of our terminal is critically important to both our existing business leaders and those visiting our area in reference to economic development," Griffin said. "While no one wants to pay more taxes, we believe these funds will be well spent and will help improve the efficiency of air travel locally."

The complete Nov. 4 tax roster entails:

- Proposition 1: 2.5 mills for maintenance and operations at the Monroe Civic Center, which will generate an estimated $950,000 a year.

- Proposition 2: 2.5 mills for maintenance and operations at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo, which will generate an estimated $950,000 a year.

- Proposition 3: 3.25 mills capital improvements tax, generating approximately $1.25 million per year for capital improvements to city facilities and equipment.

- Proposition 4: 1.5 mills for the Monroe Police Department, which will generate approximately $570,000 annually for equipment, maintenance and operations.

- Proposition 5: 1.5 mills for the Monroe Fire Department, generating approximately $570,000 annually for equipment, maintenance and operations.

- Proposition 6: 1 mill for construction and maintenance projects at the Monroe Regional Airport, which will generate approximately $380,000 a year in revenue.
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