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August 25, 2008

Groves balances budget with infrastructure concerns

By Darragh Doiron



GROVES — The proposed Groves city budget could cost the average home owner $8 to $10 more this year.

Groves City Council members conducted a hearing Monday regarding a 64.12 cent tax rate for 2008-2009, a figure 1.7 cents above the effective tax rate. The current tax rate is 69.18 cents per $100,000 property evaluation.

The figure, which would include a 50-cent monthly garbage increase, would have the average home owner paying $8 to $10 more a year, D.E. Sosa, Groves city manager, said.

The budget reflects funding for street and sewer improvements and is fair based on challenges to protect citizens and employees, Sosa said. The budget includes $71,000 for employee insurance, $280,000 for a cost of living increase of about 3 to 4 percent for city employees, $60,000 for fuel and $70,000 for computer software.

About $55,000 is budgeted for police overtime, which reflects a decrease from the current year, Jeff Wilmore, Groves City Marshal, said.

Ulysee Soileau of Groves, expressed concern over the increase.

“It’s causing quite a hit for senior citizens. It’s getting to be a burden. Somehow or another we need to get a little relief for the seniors,” Soileau said.

Groves Mayor Brad Bailey said he would have to explain the increases to his own mother, and Sosa noted that Soileau may not have updated homestead information. He invited Soileau to have coffee with him Tuesday to go over his figures. He said he believed the calculations would not be as bad as Soileau had previously figured.

Soileau accepted the offer.

“The city council is very, very vocal for trying to keep the taxes as low as we can,” Sosa said.

Sosa said the city had been “blessed” with good sales taxes, which kept the increase modest.

Another hearing on the budget is set to follow the 5:30 p.m. council session Thursday, Sept. 11.

Also at Monday’s council meeting, John McMahon presented a petition from his neighbors asking the land behind the former Super K Mart remain a residential zone. He said neighbors never want the area used for a laydown yard, which was a possibility earlier this summer until a businessman withdrew his request for rezoning.

Council approved the sale of an abandoned right of way on tract two of lots three and four, block four, range C, PALCO for $10,000 to the E.J. Benoit family. Sosa said the land may be home to a future business.

Billy Job attended the meeting. Job, a former mayor of Groves, has filed to run for mayor in the November election. Bailey has filed to keep the position.

Contact this reporter at ddoiron@panews.com.

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