Durel Hopes Airport Tax Will Help Restore Faith In Local Government

In the upcoming elections on December 6, Lafayette voters will be called upon to decide the fate of the One Cent. One Year. One Project plan to improve the Lafayette Regional Airport. City-Parish President Joey Durel joined ‘Nathan and Bernie in the Morning‘ for his weekly ‘Lafayette Live‘ segment to discuss tax and explain why he believes this tax will both insure economic growth and help restore the community's faith in local government.

It is what we leave for the generation behind us, just like the ones who built the airport for us in past, this is our opportunity

"100-percent of the people in Lafayette depend on the airport," said Durel in defense of the temporary tax. "Whether you fly out of it or not, there’s a good chance someone you care about it flies out of it."

The airport tax is expected to generate $37 million towards the $90 million project. The money will be used to build a new terminal as well as additional parking and infrastructure. With more and more businesses coming to Lafayette in the coming years and projected population booms expected throughout the region, Durel feels now is the time for Lafayette to update its airport facilities.

"It is what we leave for the generation behind us, just like the ones who built the airport for us in past, this is our opportunity," said Durel.

If passed, the tax will only be collected for eight months before it is removed from the books. This time locked tax plan is something Durel believes will help restore some of the community's faith in local government.

People are never going to trust us completely. This will be a step to have them trust a little bit. It’s a step. It’s a bite at the apple to gain a little bit of trust. - Joey Durel

To listen to the full audio from the interview, click the play button below: