Assessor warns exemptions, IDB PILOTs trimming Lafourche Parish tax base; council seeks clarification

LAFOURCHE PARISH, La. — Lafourche Parish Assessor Wendy Thibodeau told the parish council on Sept. 9 that a range of tax exemptions and payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreements administered by the Industrial Development Board (IDB) have substantially reduced the parish’s tax base and merit further oversight.

“What I have just done is giving you an exemption because you don't have to pay your bill,” Thibodeau said during a presentation that used an orange/yellow card analogy to explain how exemptions shift tax burdens to other taxpayers.

Thibodeau cited two recent IDB arrangements as examples: a PILOT tied to an approximately $11 million project for Triple Sun Holdings (identified in the presentation as the Holiday Inn in Thibodaux) that she said results in about $1,348,143 in developer savings over 10 years, and a PILOT for Performance Food Group connected to an expansion she described as a $30 million project. She told the council the IDB had reinstated its corporate existence after a period of inactivity and that, between 2016 and the present, the parish had suffered what she called a roughly $217,714,500 loss in taxable value across multiple causes, including post‑Ida impacts and changes in how the state Tax Commission assesses oil-and-gas property.

“Lafourche cannot afford it anymore,” Thibodeau said, arguing that exemptions that reduce the locally taxable base shift costs to other taxpayers and erode long-term fiscal capacity.

Council members pressed for details. Councilman Melvin framed the concern as potential “corporate welfare,” asking whether the parish was sacrificing a stable tax base in hopes of economic development. Thibodeau pressed for clarification on whether the council’s formal approval was required for IDB-conveyed PILOTs and where oversight should sit.

Parish President Mitchell Ojourant responded that not all IDB actions are the same: in some cases the IDB became the owner of property — a governmental status — rather than merely granting an exemption, and the administration had weighed legal and charter requirements before acting. Ojourant said one IDB action retained about 130 jobs that otherwise might have left the parish, and he noted the administration is reviewing projects with legal counsel to ensure compliance with state law and the parish charter. He also stated the Bristow purchase agreement on the agenda would be rescinded.

The discussion highlighted local tensions between attracting or retaining businesses and protecting a shrinking tax base. Thibodeau urged the council to ensure transparency and oversight for IDB decisions and for exemptions that shift costs to residents.

Council members asked staff to provide follow-up details on specific PILOTs, including job-location stipulations and the practical fiscal effect on parish revenues. The council did not take a formal policy vote on PILOTs at the meeting; the administration indicated it would provide additional documentation and legal review.