Mosquito Tax Proposal
By: Import User
Updated: July 15, 2008
If voters approve the tax increase the abatement program will get an additional one and a half million dollars every year.
The 1st day of spring is just weeks away and that means those pesky Louisiana mosquitos will soon be buzzing.
This Saturday voters in Ouachita Parish will decide whether the parishs mosquito abatement program will get extra cash to combat the menace of mosquito borne diseases.
As owner of a landscaping business Donald Fortune tries to protect himself and his employees from mosquitos.
Donald tells us, "We generally use some type of mosquito repellant, off and other different brands".
Fortune plans to make it to the polls this Saturday as Ouachita Parish votes on a tax increase for the mosquito abatement program.
Donald Fortune says, "I plan to vote for it".
The head of Ouachita Parish Mosquito Abatement, Dr Cole Church, says thats music to his ears.
Dr Church said, "What were asking the voters to do is decide what kind of mosquito abatement district they want".
Ouachita Parishs mosquito abatement program began in 1978.
Mosquitos were a pest back then but today, mosquitos are lethal.
Dr Church: "Its probably more important than its ever been before because of the introduction of West Nile".
Skyrocketing fuel costs are just one reason the program needs additional funds.
Another is that bug spray costs more.
Dr Church: "Weve gone from about 320 dollars to about 390 dollars just for a gallon of insecticide in the last 5 years".
Dr Church says the tax increase will bring the program 1&1/2 million dollars a year. Currently Mosquito Abatement gets 850 thousand a year.
Dr Church: "For an average homeowner about 8 dollars a year".
Donald Fortune likes the sound of that, "That will be a worthwhile use of your tax dollars".
There is organized opposition to this tax increase.
The Monroe and West Monroe-West Ouachita Chambers of Commerce said today they opposed the tax hike.
Both chambers say they will work with the Mosquito Abatement Board to address funding issues but they oppose the tax because they say it would put an undue burden on parish businesses
