Abita aldermen OK $2.88 million budget

The Abita Springs Board of Aldermen approved a $2.88 million budget for 2009 Tuesday evening.

The total budget reflects two separate accounts, including a $1.27 million general operations budget and a $1.61 million utilities budget.

Despite a 20 percent decrease in sales tax revenue in the town since July, Mayor Louis Fitzmorris proposed a 14 percent increase in the general operations budget, up from $1.11 million in 2008. He said while sales in the town proper are declining, he is projecting a dramatic increase in sales tax coming from the areas outside town limits thanks to the newly opened Walgreens store and new strip mall under construction.

The town receives a portion of sales tax revenue from the parish for businesses located inside of a designated and agreed upon growth area.

This budget also includes a 4 percent increase cost of living for all town employees with the exception of the mayor and members of the Board of Aldermen.

The utilities budget is up 4 percent from $1.36 million in 2008. This is due to the utility rate increase the board approved last month.

The board also approved the annexation of just under an acre of land located southwest of Harrison Avenue behind the new Walgreens.

The property was zoned commercial, and Fitzmorris hopes this request for annexation means a business may be interested in building there and bringing with it more sales tax revenue.

“It was always our intention to bring in that property as commercial,” Alderman Troy Dugas said.

An ordinance was also introduced to annex in a piece of property adjacent to Abita Lumber. A public hearing will be held on that matter next month.

Tuesday night the board also passed a resolution allowing for the donation of a piece of property at the junction of Level Street and Louisiana Highway 435. The piece of property will be used to construction a turning lane for traffic heading west on Level Street wishing to turn onto LA. 435.

An idea proposed last month to readjust the work week for town employees to four, 10-hour days and close Town Hall on Fridays was tabled.

Dugas said the pros and cons of the idea balance out, and he is not sure it is the right thing to do.

“There is no clear desire for this right now,” he said.

“I’m with Troy,” Fitzmorris said. “I’m not sure this is the way to go right now.”