Iberia Parish Voters Get Their Say On Two Tax Proposals April 6th

The next election in Louisiana will be on April 6th, and voters in Iberia Parish will be able to vote either for or against two tax proposals that would help to fund a 26-mile levee to hold back storm surges in the parish.

There is a 5-mill property tax and a 1/2 cent sale tax on the ballot.  The taxes, if approved, are expected to generate around $7 million dollars each year for the levee project.  The total cost of the project is expected to be around $420 million.

Ronald Gonsoulin is the chairman of the Iberia Parish Levee, Hurricane and Conservation District.  He says that several coastal restoration projects have been talked about to help rebuild wetlands.

Rebuilding the wetlands would offer a buffer for when a storm surge hits during a hurricane.  Gonsoulin says it could be years before any of those projects might be approved, and protection for home and businesses is needed now.

Gonsoulin says, in his opinion, the levee project would be the fastest way to protect people's property.