Lafayette Bar Owners Seek Judgment In Security Fee Dispute

Several of the bar owners in downtown Lafayette are hoping that they can avoid having to go through a court fight for a change they are seeking.

Bar owners are hoping to get rid of a special security fee that they have been paying to Lafayette city-parish government.

Owners argue that the government failed to respond to their federal lawsuit by the deadline that is required, so the fee should go away.

The federal Clerk of Court Office did notify Lafayette government that they could lose their case by default because they have not yet responded to the lawsuit.

City-Parish Attorney Mike Hebert says Lafayette government will likely file papers to contest the default judgment.

The downtown fees bar owners are required to pay range from $150 to $5,000 a month per bar based on how many patrons their establishment can hold.