Madisonville district designation on hold

That cultural district Madisonville artists and residents were striving for may take a bit longer to come to fruition.

Susan Kierr, Gale Perry and others were doing their best to get their tiny seaside town deemed a cultural district by Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu’s office by the December deadline.

The designation would mean original works of art would be exempt from sales tax. It would also give tax breaks on the restoration of 50-plus-year-old structures. Most of the buildings in Madisonville meet those criteria.

Kierr and others submitted the applications by the Dec. 1 deadline, but to complete the process, they needed to get a resolution signed by town officials supporting the cultural district designation.

The topic was introduced at the Dec. 10 town hall meeting, where several residents turned out in support.

However, after a lengthy discussion, town officials decided to table the item so the town attorney could have more time to understand the pros and cons of supporting the decision, then translate it to town officials, who would decide to give it the green light.

Mayor Peter Gitz said the attorney would proceed through the fine print as quickly as possible so the group could get the proper documentation in soon.

But, if a resolution showing the town’s support is not submitted to the lieutenant governor’s office in the next few months, supporters will have to wait till the next application period in July.

Kierr was hoping it wouldn’t come down to that because the town’s Wooden Boat Festival and other events that showcase numerous artists and their works occur during the fall, about the time Landrieu’s office would make its decision if the application was filed in July.

Kierr hoped to get everything completed this month and hopefully acquire the cultural district designation sometime early next year before the fall festivities so the local artists could take advantage of the tax break.

Right now they’ll have to wait and see what the town officials decide.

Earlier this year Landrieu’s office named Lacombe, Old Mandeville, Olde Towne Slidell, Abita Springs and downtown Covington as cultural districts.