re: Livingston Parish 1% tax for teacher raises fails to pass

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Did you read the proposal for the tax? It specifically states this tax was for salaries and that is all it could be used for.

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This is not like prior increase or even a special district with specific area like Jubans increase under R.S. 47:338.54 where school board (or parish/police jury when applicable) is doing it, controlling, and bound by its defined usage stated on voter referendum.

This is controlled by the new educational facilities improvement district which just requires voter authorization to add the 1% above and beyond anything already taxed for school district. Not sure it’s bound by words in tax election and could easily be stated as still assisting district free up money for increases by creating debt through bonds paid for by collected sales tax. This is only the 3rd district like this ever created in the state and originally set up for specific problem districts before rest of state allowed to use it if needed.

Why create a new educational facilities improvement district and appoint board members with power to:

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Each district, as a body corporate and politic and as a political subdivision of the state with full corporate powers, shall have the following rights and powers:
(1) To adopt bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business.
(2) To adopt an official seal and alter the seal at its pleasure.
(3) To maintain an office at such place as it may designate and to occupy space for such purposes as may be made available by a school board.
(4) To sue and be sued.
(5) To receive, administer, and comply with the conditions and requirements respecting any gift, grant, guarantee, subsidy, or donation of any property or money.
(6) To borrow money and issue bonds or obligations of the district in the manner provided by this Section and to refund the same.
(7) To apply and contract for assistance from the United States or other public or private sources, whether in the form of a grant, guarantee, loan, or otherwise, or to serve and act in such capacities on behalf of a school board when necessary or desirable to apply for and accept such grants, guarantees, subsidies, loans, or other assistance.
(8) To make and execute contracts and other instruments necessary in the exercise of the powers and functions of the district under this Section, including contracts with persons, firms, corporations, and others.
(9) To pledge or assign any monies, fees, charges, or other revenues and any proceeds derived by the district from the sale of bonds and other contracts or rights of the district.
(10) To employ such employees, to make use of such persons as a school board may make available to the board for its use, and to employ or otherwise retain the services of accountants, financial advisors, underwriters, attorneys, and such other consultants as may be required in the judgment of the board and to fix and pay their compensation from funds available to the district therefor.
(11) To research, study, and develop plans and programs designed to assist the respective school boards and to review such plans and services as a respective school board may determine to accomplish any of the purposes or address any of the objectives or findings in this Section.
(12) To enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the respective school board to transfer all or any portion of the proceeds derived by a district from collections of the tax and the sale of bonds to the respective school board, to make grants and donations to, and to purchase any obligation of, the respective school board or enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with any political subdivision of the state to accomplish any of the purposes, objectives, or findings in this Section.
(13) As security for the payment of any bonds issued hereunder and any agreements made in connection therewith, to pledge or mortgage all or any part of its revenues or properties as provided in the resolution or trust agreement authorizing such bonds.
(14) To accept the mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, grant, or donation of any properties of the school board.
(15) To exercise any and all other powers necessary to accomplish the purposes set forth herein.
(16) To invest its monies in accordance with law.

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Livingston has high sales tax and then board creates an tax entity with its own board and a lot of power and responsibilities that were meant to help districts with very problematic facilities.

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Livingston Parish has the eighth highest sales tax rate in the state, records show. That number ranges between 8.45%-10.45% with the exception of the Juban Crossing area, which has the highest tax rate of 10.95%.

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