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OPINION: Lafayette has an $83 million opportunity. Let’s not screw this up.
The American Rescue Plan Act is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make our community better, one we can’t afford to waste.
The American Rescue Plan Act is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make our community better, one we can’t afford to waste.
The City and Parish Councils meet tomorrow with agendas covering a lot of ground, from cultural funding to changes to the development code to Pride Month to reports on LCG’s finances and the Louisiana Watershed Initiative.
Most of the Protect the City Committee’s attention has been focused on how consolidation isn’t working for the city. But consolidation is hurting not just the city but the rest of the parish as well.
Since consolidation, the city of Lafayette has spent more than $100 million propping up the parish’s perpetually faltering finances. $100 million can buy a lot of opportunity.
On the docket for Tuesday night’s council meetings are approval for more drainage projects, a request to increase the LUS Fiber director’s salary, a report on police training, a request for another restoration tax abatement, and more.
The past and current mayor-president have used loopholes to appoint unqualified directors for LUS and LUS Fiber without the City Council’s approval.
On the docket for the next city and parish council meetings are increased costs for LUS, budgeting the new LUS Fiber director’s salary, more drainage projects and a reprieve for some restaurant permit holders.
Rather than contribute constructively to the important community dialog about the future of consolidated government, Guillory chose to pollute the waters by twisting the truth to fit his preferred narrative. The city and parish of Lafayette deserve better.
On the dockets of the City and Parish Councils are multiple tax renewals for essential services, a tax rededication for fire protection in unincorporated Lafayette, and declaring more detention pond projects as public necessities.
Relatively light agendas include a continued push to privatize local park facilities, another step towards building detention ponds to help with drainage, and approval of new sidewalks around some schools.
Discussions around deconsolidating Lafayette Consolidated Government aren’t just the academic musings of the chattering class. They’re about making local government more responsive to its citizens.
Here’s a selection of items on the agendas for this week’s meetings of the city and parish councils.
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