‘Yes’ on West Jefferson levee maintenance tax | Editorial

By The Times-Picayune Editorial Board

Source: NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

April 27, 2018

The Times-Picayune editorial board makes the following recommendation for Saturday’s (April 28) election.

JEFFERSON PARISH

WEST JEFFERSON LEVEE DISTRICT PROPOSITION

To increase property taxes by 4.75 mills for 10 years for maintenance of the flood control system

Yes

The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West needs to spend $61.3 million to raise and armor levees and do pump station maintenance over the next decade, but the levee district has only $18.8 million of that covered. Levee officials are asking for residents to make up the $42.5 million gap in funding. It is crucial for this tax to pass.

“Without the maintenance, the levees would lose height due to settling and soil subsidence, and pump station operations could be impaired,” the Bureau of Governmental Research said in its analysis supporting the tax. “Businesses and residents would be more vulnerable to storm surge and flooding from nearby lakes and waterways.”

That could be catastrophic during a strong storm. And, as was evident after Hurricane Katrina and the levee breaches in 2005, the cost of repairing the damage to homes and businesses would be far greater than the cost of the tax.

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