A series exploring the highs and lows of Lafayette’s economy, providing critical commentary about what’s working and what’s not.
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.
A generational challenge has no easy solutions. But there are opportunities to pivot using what we already have at our disposal.
Few will admit it out loud: What has been Lafayette’s most important economic sector will likely never recover the ground it lost.
Lost in the rancor is consideration of the positive impact that a mask mandate will have on Lafayette’s businesses.
This is problematic for two reasons. One, it suggests that people in our community really are having trouble making ends meet. Two, it harms our economic competitiveness as it relates to being able to retain our best and brightest.
There’s a Cold War between the mayor-president and the City Council that could flare up at any time. The city faces a slew of controversial issues, while the parish’s finances continue to teeter on the brink of collapse, and consolidation is put on trial. These are the major stories I’ll be tracking at LCG this year.
You often hear that as bad as the economy is now, at least it’s not as bad as the 1980s. But in terms of impact on personal income, new data shows that it’s actually worse.
Every part of parish government is underfunded. And there’s no way to fix it without raising taxes.
For the city to control its own affairs, this failed experiment in consolidation must end so our city can be free to govern itself.
Lafayette’s city and parish councils passed a compromise budget that doesn’t address any of the city’s or parish’s major budgetary problems.
While Lafayette’s economic forecast isn’t bright, it’s not near as dark as the mayor-president has made it out to be. That means the City Council can avoid drastic cuts.
Saying the parish should live within its means is one thing, but actually cutting millions from a threadbare budget is something else entirely. Parish government now faces the unenviable choice of raising taxes or cutting essential services.