The Natchitoches Parish School Board met briefly for its regular monthly meeting on Aug. 6. Board President Billy Benefield kicked things off by recognizing former Superintendent Dale Skinner for his 50 plus years in education in the state of Louisiana.
In other business the school board decided to table an item to consider approving a tax exemption application for Alliance Compressors LLC. Board member Russ Danzy initially made a motion to approve 40 percent of the 80 percent tax exemption Alliance is applying for, but Board member Reba Phelps said tabling the item would allow some of the members more time to research the subject. The deadline to submit the paperwork is Aug. 23 so the Board will set a date for a special called meeting soon so this item can be handled before the deadline.
The Board did approve two tax exemption applications for RoyOMartin, however with Board members Emile Metoyer and Dorothy McGaskey voting against the item and Tankeia Palmer and Katrina Willis being absent/unable to vote electronically, Metoyer said they didn’t have the necessary votes to pass the items. Since a roll call vote had already been done, Superintendent Grant Eloi said he would get a ruling on the matter asap and would let the board know. If the vote can’t be upheld, the item will be added to the agenda for the special called meeting.
Other agenda items included:
Approve memorandum of understanding between the Outpatient Medical Center and the Board
Approve a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the Louisiana Technical Community College and the Board
Approve Dual Enrollment Agreement between Northwestern State University and the Board
Approve two-year performance contracts for administrators
Approve Strong Start final plan
Approve new job descriptions for increased Covid-19 related duties
Approve Covid leave policy
Approve Title IX policy
Approve Emergency Closing of Schools policy
Approve Public Health Emergency policy
Alliance needs the tax exemption. They have supported the LP Vaughn and East Natchitiches School of Fine art for five years. $1500.00 each year. This is no way to pay them back by not granting this exemption!
Guess I don’t understand enough about the duties and limitations on school boards to grant tax exemption to a company that cuts down trees and a company that makes compressors. Is Roy O. Martin donating lumber to build a new school? Is Alliance donating compressors to a school? Not sure what air compressors are used for…. Maybe air conditioning?
Someone please explain.
See my post about Alliance!
Pretty sure Lady Jade these are compressors for air conditioning.
We have a difficult enough time attracting major employers and companies to Natchitoches but these people want to withold the industrial tax exemption. This will m ake it even more difficult to attract employers. If Alliance was not in the community most if not all of their employees would not live in the community and you would receive no taxes from them. The workforce of the major employers more than pays for the tax exemption. These people need to think.