Parish library tax is a no-go on Council

A request to place a tax for a parish library system on the November ballot failed to gain any support at a St. Landry Parish Council meeting Wednesday.
Library supporters have been vague about the money needed and details about the system, which were among the issues cited in refusing to place the matter to a public vote.
The library proposal began in the Parish Council’s Public Works Committee, which bounced it to the Admnistrative-Finance Committee where it fell flat.
Wayne Ardoin, an Opelousas area member, said the proposal is premature.
Jerry Red, also of Opelousas, said, “We need to prioritize what is more important in this parish. We have many issues that we are facing and on my agenda the library is not my number one on the list.”
Timmy Lejeune, a Lawtell area member, said, “They haven’t come to me with enough information about the parishwide library system. All I know is they want to collect a million-plus dollars. I need to know where that million-plus dollars is going to be spent. How it is going to be spent.”
Ken Marks, a Port Barre, area member, said the Council needs to have facts about the proposed library system before putting a tax on the ballot.
“Without that I cannot sit here and bring it to the voters if I don’t know what I’m bringing to the voters to vote on,” he said.
Bill Fontenot, parish president and a supporter of a parishwide library system, said, “We also tried road taxes before and they failed. You can’t just let another generation pass without letting the people decide.”