Selling A Tax Proposal
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
St. Landry Parish School Superintendent Milton Batiste III became a salesman Tuesday night, as he asked voters to support a proposed parishwide millage increase that will be placed before voters on May 16.
Batiste, who appeared before the February Opelousas Board of Aldermen meeting, said only four statewide school districts have dedicated millage raters lower than St. Landry, which has operated schools with the same amount of property tax funding for 40 years.
“Everthing that it takes for us to operate today costs more than it did in 1986. School buses that cost $26,000 each back then cost $125,000 now. We aren’t asking for sympathy. We’re just putting the facts before you,” said Batiste, who previously represented District A as an alderman.
The ballot proposal requests a 9.9 mill increase in property taxes that will be used to fund employees salaries and capital outlay expenditures, Batiste said.
If approved, 7.7 mills will provide a $2,500 annual salary increase for the 1,700 employees, while 2.2 mills will fund campus safety upgrades and athletic facility improvement, Batiste added.
What’s important to remember, Batiste said, is the millage proposal appears on the ballot in two sections.
However voter approval is needed for each in order for the entire proposition package to become effective, said Batiste.
That’s because the employees’ millage is scheduled for 10 years, while the maintenance and capital outlay millage covers 20 years, Batiste said.
The last approved parishwide millage increase Batiste pointed out, included capital outlay projects that built three consolidated high school campuses at North Central, Northwest and Beau Chene.
Batiste added that it’s a misconception to think that public education doesn’t affect the entire parish.
“I hear people ask why they should support a tax when their children go to private or parochial schools,” Batiste said.
“What I ask them to think about is that the District collects federal dollars which are disbursed to non-public schools. At our student appraisal center, our District offers services for all students with hearing or speech difficulties, no matter which school they attend,” Batiste added.
Facility Improvements
The millage, according to Batiste, will allow the District to erect fencing, provide activity buses, an auditorium for the Magnet Academy of The Cultural Arts, metal detectors, cameras and camera software, school nurses and artificial turf and outdoor tracks at the high schools.
Employees Salaries
Batiste said all school workers, regardless of classification, will receive the $2,500 annual increase.
Surrounding school districts, Batiste added, have more funding which allows them to offer higher salaries.
How Much Will It Cost?
Batiste said that individual millage increases will be based on assessed property values.
“That’s one question that I’m being asked. The millage is not on appraised value,” Batiste added.
Batiste said the District website contains a cost calculator which indicates how much it will cost annually if the millage is passed.
