Vote 'Yes' on school tax renewals, city tax re-distribution

We urge citizens to vote and to vote yes in special elections on Saturday, May 3.
The St. Landry Parish School Board is seeking renewal of two property taxes and the City of Eunice seeks re-dedication of a 1 percent sales tax distribution.
Neither the School Board propositions nor the city’s proposal represents a new tax or an increased level of taxation.
The School Board taxes represent, when combined with state funds apportioned on the basis of local taxation, for about 14 percent of the parish school system’s $100 million annual budget.
Proposition No. 1, a 11.78-mill levy, raises about $7.09 million for the teacher and other employees salary pool.
Proposition No. 2, a 4.37-mill levy, raises about $2.6 million for operation, improving and maintaining the parish public schools.
The $9.6 million total generates another $5 million in state Minimum Foundation Program funds.
The school system management has worked diligently over the past 18 months to get its financial matters in order.
We think that commendable effort deserves a public vote of confidence -- renewal of the two vital taxes.
The city sales tax rededication is not a renewal.
It’s a case of city officials thinking your money could be better used if the city could use part of it for unbudgeted emergency expenses.
The 1-cent tax yields about $2 million a year. City officials are limited to previously stipulated uses of the money.
So sometimes emergency costs -- such as hurricane recovery -- have to be paid by moving General Fund money around, instead of dipping into the Sales Tax Fund, which sometimes swells to as much as $5 million as it builds while waiting for one capital project or another.
Though there is some concern over what qualifies as an emergency we agree with city leaders that being able to dip into the fund provides needed financial flexibility.
Again, we recommended a Yes vote on all three propositions.
Voting will take place at all Eunice city precincts and at all parish precincts.