Issue Position: Local Governance

Issue Position

Local government is more accountable to its citizens. Local decisions should be kept out of Baton Rouge.
Louisiana concentrates too much power in Baton Rouge. Our state government is set up so that nearly every decision in the state must pass through the Capitol. Local cities and municipalities are restricted from raising their own revenue and must go to beg at the State Capitol if they want funding for their critical projects. There are also numerous schemes like the Business Inventory Tax where businesses pay local governments and then are reimbursed dollar for dollar by the State in what is essentially just an inefficient payout to local governments. Local control is more accountable and responsive to the needs of its citizens. We need to shift the power to tax and spend back to local governments, so localities can set their own priorities.

I will fight to increase local government control by:

Granting cities and municipalities more control over their sales and property tax rates.
Eliminating pass through payments including the Business Inventory Tax.
Allowing cities and municipalities to raise the revenue they need to fund their own projects.
Keeping legislative pet projects out of the state budget

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