Eunice Economic Development Committee backs St. Landry Parish rural tax for rural roads

The Eunice Economic Development Committee took one for the roads as the panel voted unanimously to support the St. Landry Parish President’s “smooth ride home”– which is a plan for a two-cent sales tax to be collected in rural areas to be solely dedicated to the continued repair and overlays of rural roads within St. Landry Parish.

Don Reber, chairman, said the committee endorsed the proposed tax – which will appear on voter ballots on Oct. 19 – after Bill Fontenot, the St. Landry Parish president, made his presentation last week at the regular meeting of the Eunice Economic Development Committee.

“It’s needed,” said Reber. “We need to get our roadways fixed and we need to be a little more impressive to outside businesses looking to relocate. But, first and foremost it helps and improves our agricultural community with the upkeep of the farm-to-market roads.”

Also present at the meeting was special guest Bill Rodier – who is the newly hired executive director of the St. Landry Economic and Industrial Development District(SLEIDD). Reber said that Fontenot gave a very comprehensive presentation that was well-received by the Eunice Economic Development Committee as it was apparent by their unanimous vote on the matter.

He said that the matter is a key component in economic development.

“There are a number of critical pieces for economic development,” said Rodier. “Education, transportation infrastructure, as well as multiple other pieces that need to come together to be affective in economic development. Anytime you enhance the transportation infrastructure, it’s going to be an asset in an ‘economic development toolkit’. But I have to manage my own expectations to whatever the people decide and what, ultimately, I will have to work with.”

Rodier said that he has been scheduled to regularly attend more of the Eunice Economic Development Meetings as his plans for the parish ramp up.

“I’ve been in my position right at four months and we’re  nearing the end of the process of developing a parish economic development plan and strategy,”said Rodier. “And actually, (SLEIDD) is meeting on a weekly basis now to help that develop that strategy. And that’s good because Eunice is the only community within the parish that has a formalized economic development committee like this.”

Rodier said that the  SLEIDD parish-wide effort is one that will utilize Eunice in a major role in the economic development of St. Landry Parish. He said that Eunice, because of  the LSU at Eunice campus and the fact that the city has a economic development committee in place,  can be perceived as “very progressive community”.