A Zachary councilman claims a city official tried to sway his vote on an ordinance that would increase residents’ property taxes — a charge the mayor denies knowing anything about.
Councilman John LeBlanc said the official, whom he declined to name, also made political threats against him and another member of the council.
He brought up the issue at a meeting Tuesday when the City Council took up an ordinance that would raise the millage rate — currently set at 5.07 mills — to 5.48 mills. The council introduced the ordinance on a 3-2 vote, meaning it will be considered for final adoption at a later meeting.
Before registering his vote against the measure, LeBlanc presented his allegations. He said a member of the city administration summoned him to a meeting in May. There, LeBlanc said, he was told that if he didn’t vote for the rate hike, he could face political consequences.
Reading aloud from a prepared statement, LeBlanc said: “I was informed that certain political materials, including photos of a sign at my residence and posts on social media from an elected official colleague, would be used in future campaign advertisements against myself and my colleague if we did not support rolling millages forward.”
LeBlanc didn’t say which colleague he was referring to, nor did he elaborate on what type of sign had been photographed at his home or by whom. Pressed later in an interview, LeBlanc said he was not comfortable sharing those details.
At the meeting, LeBlanc said he did not believe the city needed the extra funds that the higher tax rate would generate. He decried what he said amounted to intimidation from a city official.
“I won’t be coerced and I won’t be threatened or bullied or manipulated by anyone in this administration or any administration,” LeBlanc said.
Neither Mayor David McDavid nor any other members of his administration addressed the matter during the meeting — which, by the time the council reached the millage item on its agenda, unfolded before a virtually empty room.
In an interview afterward, McDavid said he had no comment on LeBlanc’s claims.
“I have no response, because I’m not sure what he’s talking about,” McDavid said. “I haven’t been in any of his discussions of what he’s talking about. If he’s going to make that allegation, I would think he would offer up some evidence.”
McDavid said the council meeting was the first he had heard of LeBlanc’s concerns.
LeBlanc wants McDavid to investigate and apologize.
“I’m wanting the mayor to look into this and to find out who orchestrated this plan against me and my colleague,” LeBlanc said in an interview Wednesday morning. “I want a public apology from the mayor that this happened to us. This came from his administration, and I feel like he is responsible for this.”
Three council members — Jennifer Landry, James Graves and Brandy Westmoreland — voted in favor of introducing the millage ordinance. In addition to LeBlanc, Ambre DeVirgilio was against it.
DeVirgilio said sales tax collections and other revenue streams remain strong.
“Some will say this is just an increase of a few dollars a year,” she said. “But those dollars add up … especially for seniors, young families and residents on fixed incomes.”
Raising the millage to 5.48 mils would bring in an extra $98,000 a year, according to Deanna Mankins, the city’s chief financial officer.
“For a home that has an assessed value of $310,000, the cost would be approximately $12.75,” Mankins wrote in an emailed response to questions from The Advocate.
The additional $98,000 represents a small fraction of the city’s general fund budget of about $21.3 million.