Letter: Livingston needs road tax renewal

As the duly elected president of Livingston Parish, I am appealing to the voters of Livingston Parish to support the renewal of the parishwide proposition known as PW-PC-5 MILL-10 YRS at the polls on Nov. 6.

Livingston Parish voters will be making significant decisions on Election Day Tuesday. One, in particular, will have a direct impact on how well the parish will be able to continue to provide basic road maintenance.

As the parish continues to experience unprecedented growth, it is urgent that we are able to upkeep over 900 miles of roads, which maintenance includes pothole repair, ditch spraying and grass cutting.

Livingston Parish voters have continuously supported this millage and given the progress of the past 40 years. There is no doubt that additional maintenance will be forthcoming in the years ahead. The average household will pay about $37 annually on a home valued at $150,000 to obtain all the services that the parish provides with these funds. This renewal is an investment in our future.

The loss of this millage would be devastating to our growing parish and jeopardize the ability to provide day-to-day road maintenance. The loss would also increase the number of years the public has to wait for road-improvement projects.

That is why I implore the voters of Livingston Parish to continue to show commitment to move forward. Get out and vote Nov. 6 and support the parishwide proposition to renew the 5-mill ad valorem tax for 10 more years.

I encourage you to contact my office if you have any questions or reservations about this renewal proposition.

Layton Ricks

Livingston Parish president

Denham Springs

Comments

1) Comment by DMJ - 02/11/2012

Oh no, phil, don't go!!!! Hope there's not a pothole in front of your new house.

2) Comment by phil - 02/11/2012

Don't live there, but at least this is a 10-year proposed tax and not a 25 year tax like has been proposed in another area. Other than that I wish the people in Livingston Parish the best - I might be moving there if BR keeps heading in the same direction it is now.

3) Comment by DMJ - 01/11/2012

See?

4) Comment by keith1966 - 01/11/2012

Layton, You have to be living on the moon! You and your "good boys" need to learn to manage the money you have before you come to me and ask me to pay more taxes! You must be the biggest idiot ever! NO MORE TAXES ON 1 SEGMENT OF THE RESIDENTS! Everyone uses the roads, so tax everyone not just the home owners with a home valued above 75k. dummy!

5) Comment by DMJ - 01/11/2012

Asking the people of Livingston Parish to raise their own taxes for the betterment of the parish as a whole, a.k.a. "the common good." Ha! Good luck!! Turns out, living where property is cheap comes with hidden costs.

6) Comment by Attila - 01/11/2012

Paying 100% of employee health insurance costs while also paying all of their deductibles for them and their entire families has got to stop. The people will not continue to renew road taxes until this train wreck has been corrected. Are you listening Layton?

7) Comment by Bighug - 01/11/2012

I'll be contacting you later today, Layton. The street in my subdivision has been in disrepair for years, while those all around have been repaved. I'm not likely to vote to keep up streets for others while my street is breaking apart.