Editor, The Era-Leader:
Well folks here we find ourselves again! December 12th Washington Parish Council meeting to decide whether we allow or deny West Bogalusa PVI an exemption of 80% of the property taxes they would normally pay our parish.
Chris Berry, representing the Bogalusa solar panel project, was present for the parish council meeting on November 28th. However, after a unanimous decision against Sunlight Solar's ITEP application, Chris asked for a postponement to prepare more information.
So are we to take from that he wasn't prepared at the November 28th meeting? Did the decision against Sunlight Solar somehow change the information he had in his hands? Which, by the way, I was told was the same information he presented to the Washington Parish School Board earlier. What further information is he gathering to present at the December 12th meeting that he didn't have with him? He was on the agenda and you would think that he would come properly prepared to present to the council. Something seems not right with all of this.
I want to state that I, personally, am not against the solar industry. It's here and because there is land positioned in the right locations to the large transmission lines, they want to be here. Let's state that again, plainly, THEY WANT TO BE HERE.
They bring no jobs to our parish. The power they will generate within our parish will not be used by any resident or business in this parish. They bring potentially hazardous materials here where before there weren't any.
Although, they say otherwise, the possibility of their leaving behind a site that requires expensive clean-up is very real.
Check out the abandoned solar panel farm near Delta, Utah or Solar1/Solar2 near Daggett, California if you want physical proof.
The Carrizo Plain Solar farm is partially dismantled, the solar panels are being sold around the world, but the infrastructure and above ground concrete supports still litter the land.
No one can say what the future of these operations in our parish will be in 5 or 10 years.
What the solar industry representatives say now, has little weight in the coming years. Will we even see these same people 5 or 10 years from now?
How will the ordinance that requires proper decommissioning and cleanup even be enforced? Since the state has not produced legislation governing solar facilities in our state, should these companies decide to just leave, their actions are not criminal. To force them to adhere to the ordinance, it becomes a civil matter and the parish will have to sue them in court. Anybody want to guess how much that will cost and how long that could take? Meanwhile, the eyesore and hazard will just sit there.
They want an exemption from paying 80% of their property taxes and so far as has been presented, the only reason for their request is that it benefits their business plan. They make a greater profit.
The number of land leases to the solar companies that are on file in the parish courthouse show that there are a certain number of people who will profit by the solar companies being here. Their land leases will pay them thousands of dollars. That's fine, but it shouldn't come at the expense of our parish being able to provide for roads, schools, teachers, and the protections of properly funded fire and law enforcement, should it?
As I stated before, when the time comes that our parish government needs funds for road improvements, school buildings and teacher's salaries, law enforcement and fire protection needs and many other parish responsibilities, where will they go for these funds? Look in the mirror folks. That's right, they will ask you to vote in another millage increase or keep an existing tax that would soon be expiring or create a new tax.
We saw an example of this very thing, with the renewal of the then expiring state sales tax and a subsequent raising of that tax another 25%. Governor Edwards said he wouldn't renew it in 2016, he went and renewed it in 2018 and unless legislators do something, it won't expire until June 30, 2025.
If the parish council does not deny the West Bogalusa PVI property tax abatement application, how in good conscience could they ask those who do pay their full property tax for more money?
I urge parish residents to attend the December 12th parish council meeting at the courthouse. Let your parish representatives see your faces and know how you feel about your paying full property taxes versus these solar companies who want tax relief.
Ben M Sarro
Franklinton, LA
