This letter is in response to the “Letter to the Editor” written by Joe Givens that was published the weekend of February 13-14. Approximately five years ago Rick Nowlin, the President of the Parish at that time, appointed a committee composed with Natchitoches citizens to study the condition of the roads in Natchitoches Parish. Members of the committee were from Campti, Cloutierville, Marthaville and the City of Natchitoches. The committee researched the road conditions and alternate ways to finance road repairs.
We reported back to the Parish Council with a detailed study and ways to finance road repairs. We recommended that the Parish request that bonds be issued to provide funds for road repairs. The bonds would be retired from funds derived from either a one percent sales tax or an increase in the ad valorem tax.
The Parish Council chose not to put our proposal for a tax increase, that would provide funds for road repairs, on the ballot. Parish voters were not given a chance to vote on the tax issue and thus, the roads are in a worse condition today than they were two years ago. I assume our detailed written report is on a shelf somewhere collecting dust. Mr. Nowlin attempted to address the road issue, however, the Parish Council members failed to give the voters a chance to vote.
Roger H. Williams
February 24, 2021
Read the Final Report of June 25, 2015
https://natchitochesparishjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/final-report-june-25-2015-1.pdf
Final Committee Meeting – 2015 by Clif Hart
https://natchitochesparishjournal.com/2015/06/25/final-road-commission-meeting-june-25-2015/
Parish roads are literally being torn apart by daily use, because of little to no upkeep. We had taxes for our roads, but it has slipped away from our roads by the parish council and probably from the old police jury. A little here, a little there. Natchitoches has found a way to take, take and take for the town. There were some pretty slippery measures to find ways of reducing our share of taxes away from us.
So now, all they can do is tax us again if we want our needed road repairs. But we have no assurance that if more taxes are voted in, that we will be able to keep our fair share for rural Natchitoches Parish.
Then the screw-up for funds for our garbage pickup service at the dumps. Is there anyone watching out for rural Natchitoches??? Will a new tax be protection for our needs? If so, for how long?
Right now we need help. Right now! Please.
Mr. Williams gives an accurate picture of what happened in the parish and how the Council failed the voters by not giving them a chance to vote on the proposal. Many hours were spent by the blue ribbon commission to find us a way out of this mess. As a result our roads are almost impassable in many places. What is it going to take to wake our Council up??? Someone is going to die because emergency services cannot get to their house or someone is going to lose their house to a fire because fire equipment cannot get to them. Does our Council and Parish President really want this on their conscience??? Apparently they don’t care. Remember this next election.
The answer is simple. You can’t keep electing the same people and expect a different result.
Politicians are like diapers. They need to be changed often and for the same reason!