OPPJ Votes to Refund V-Vehicle Tax Money

Saying “we stayed in the game as long as we could,” Ouachita Parish Police Jury President and District E Juror Shane Smiley moved to refund tax monies collected last year for grants to the V-Vehicle project in Monroe. The motion was seconded by District B Juror Mack Calhoun and passed with four affirmative votes and one abstention, District A Juror Charles Jackson.

Also in the motion was the stipulation that the refunds would proceed unless VVC obtained approval of a Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) Program loan or other suitable financing prior to the refund date.

The initial loan application had been denied two weeks ago. The company says it will reapply for the loan in the near future.

The refunds will be disbursed after the close of the June 9 tax sale for delinquent property. Jackson argued that the refunds should be done more quickly. Other jurors suggested that it would take just about that long to get the refund procedure set up.

Last July the OPPJ passed a resolution that said tax monies collected to pay the local portion of taxpayer-funded gifts to the company would be refunded if the company failed to meet stated financial objectives. See the LPNO story here and The Ouachita Citizen story here.

Much discussion and planning has already taken place among the police jury staff, the tax assessor and the tax collector. Last month, Lincoln Parish News Online had reported on the preliminary plans for the refunds.

District C Juror Walt Caldwell and District D Juror Ollibeth Reddix both commended Jackson and Police Jury Treasurer Brad Cammack for the work they had done on setting up a refund procedure.

In other business the jury accepted a report from Green Oaks Juvenile Detention Center director Mike Rhodes suggesting that a tax election be scheduled for October 2 to levy a five year 2.91 mil property tax to fund operation of the center. The existing 2.91 mil levy expires at the end of this year.

One other item was of interest. Two minor agenda changes were done at the beginning of the meeting, and comments from the public were solicited. Last month, an agenda change was done late in the meeting after many spectators and reporters had left the meeting.

UPDATE: 3:10 PM – 4/6/10

Startup automaker V-Vehicle planning 2nd run at fed loan, but must raise more of its own money