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Tax commission asks parish to decide whether existing businesses in new EDDs should be assessed
Summary
The tax commission presented updated EDD mapping showing existing businesses now within district boundaries and asked whether to grandfather them or assess the new EDD tax; staff noted ordinances must be introduced and a public hearing will be required if the council wants to change boundaries or grandfather existing firms.
A tax‑commission representative told the Natchitoches Parish council that mapping for four Economic Development Districts (EDDs) is now precise enough to identify specific addresses and that a list of businesses falls within the new boundaries. "I haven't notified them because I don't know where you stand," the representative said, and estimated the collective additional sales tax could be about $23,000 more a month if those businesses are assessed.
Several council members said the original intent had been to tax only newly established businesses in the EDDs and to leave existing operations grandfathered; the council discussed whether to amend the original ordinances to make the exemption explicit. The tax commission said it can prepare amended ordinances at no cost and requested written direction about whether to begin collections and, if so, on what effective date. Council members also queried whether the hotel‑motel (lodging) tax increase applies to RV parks and how EDD revenues will be governed; the tax commission and staff said EDD receipts are to be segregated by district and overseen by an industrial board or similar governance entity.
No final vote was taken; staff said they would present proposed ordinance language or a resolution for action at the next council meeting so the council could decide whether to instruct the tax commission to begin assessment or to draft amendments exempting current businesses.
