Regional Juvenile Sales Tax Proposed

 Regional Juvenile Sales Tax Proposed

BOBBY ARDOIN

Editor/Consulting Writer

The nine-parish Acadiana Regional Juvenile Justice District that includes St. Landry is seeking to gain legislative approval to hold a one-cent sales tax election in order to build a proposed $80 million, 100-bed juvenile rehabilitation facility in an undesignated area north of Interstate 10.

Parish president Jessie Bellard, chairman for the Acadiana Juvenile District, informed St. Landry Parish Council members on Wednesday of the proposed construction phase sales tax that if approved, would be collected in all nine parishes that comprise the District.

Bellard did not indicate when a ballot proposition involving the juvenile center sales tax would be presented to voters.

The Council presentation by Bellard which was included in his monthly president’s report, was approved without opposition by the Council.

Bellard said if passed, the original 1-cent sales tax would be reduced to one quarter of a cent after the construction phase for the facility is completed.

The eight additional parishes that include the regional juvenile detention center sales tax initiative are Acadia, Allen, Evangeline, Jefferson Davis, Vermillion, Iberia, St. Martin and St.Mary.

Council members questioned Bellard at length about details involving proposed funding mechanisms that involve the facility

Bellard said housing St. Landry juveniles in temporary facilities located in the state is too costly.

“Because of the need to take care of juveniles in the area, the District is taking more of a regional approach. There is no way that (St. Landry) can continue to budget for juveniles,” Bellard told the Council.

Judges are requiring that juveniles should be sent to state-approved facilities which cost about $275 per day for each inmate, said Bellard.

Bellard added that voter approval in all nine Regional Juvenile parishes will not be necessary in order to construct the facility.

“If the majority of the parishes say yes to this, then (the sales tax) will pass,” Bellard added.

The proposed facility would emphasize teaching juveniles rehabilitative workforce skills in order to make them employment eligible upon their release, Bellard noted.

Bellard said there is also the possibility that state funding could be obtained to build the juvenile center, but the District is not leaning in yet on that option.

“We are not pushing for (state assistance) unless the state is willing to pay for the whole thing,” Bellard said.

St. Landry Parish had acquired total state funding over 10 years ago to build a parishwide juvenile detention facility.

However former state lawmaker Elbert Guillory, who spearheaded the effort to build the $50 facility in a rural area of St. Landry, said on Thursday that the proposed juvenile facility effort was opposed by a parishwide group of political opponents.