Quantcast
Channel: Hotel Blog » debate
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

TIF districts spur heated debate at meeting

0
0

Local tea party members threatened to walk out a town hall meeting Wednesday night after a developer called the party members idiots because the group opposes the possibility of a special tax levied to fund a luxury hotel.

“Most of the tea party people are idiots,” the developer, Glenn Stewart, told the 30-person crowd of mostly tea party members.

“I don’t mind saying it. Most of the people I’ve met don’t mind admitting it,” he added as a large group began leaving the room.

A number of the members decried Stewart’s comments and insisted Stewart and City-Parish Councilman Keith Patin, District 8, apologize. Patin hosted the town hall meeting on the issue at the Southside Regional Library to solicit public input.

Michael Keating, a Tea Party of Lafayette member from Milton, helped talk most of the group into staying as Stewart settled down and Patin apologized for the meeting not being a “civil discussion” as promised.

Keating then delivered a heated argument against the proposed TIF, or Tax Increment Financing, districts. He said the tax is discriminatory against people who decide to not shop or stay in the Parc Lafayette development because of the higher taxes when a development all are willing to use could be built there.

“He’s the perfect example of my previous comment,” Stewart said as Keating finished.

Tea party members continued to grill Stewart, Patin and Greg Gothreaux, president and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority.

Parc Lafayette, a “lifestyle center” proposed at Kaliste Saloom Road and Camellia Boulevard across from River Ranch, will need a special taxing plan approved by the city-parish government for its full potential to be reached, Stewart said.

At its Feb. 15 meeting, the council approved resolutions authorizing the publication of a Notice of Intention to create the special taxing districts. If Stewart gets the government assistance he’s seeking, the city-parish will levy an additional 1 percent sales tax at retail stores there and a 2 percent sales tax and a 2 percent hotel tax for people using the luxury hotel.

From www.theadvertiser.com


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images