Letter: Road district makes parish more self-reliant

Does the Road District No. 1 proposed tax election make sense?
That is a question that the citizens of St. Mary Parish will answer on March 28th!
I have read the articles to the editor, pros or cons. They both have valid points on this particular tax. In recent history, our roads have been paid by revenues from royalty road funds (citizens and government). St. Mary Parish has always maintained roads to the best of its financial ability.
The new trend in governmental relations is the federal government allows the local government to govern its own functions to a certain extent. St. Mary Parish has to become more independent on the federal and state levels and more dependent on itself. Now, I hear some Industrial groups are opposing this tax and they have every right to do so. However, they had 30 days to come to the council and exclaim this objection or idea.
Remember, industry also needs employees and emergency services to get to work. This is not possible if there are no good roads. Most of the time, all of us feel the same way. Once a tax passes for whatever reason, it never terminates. Usually I agree. This tax proposal is a result of the parish administration persistently seeking financial ways to maintain and resurface roads.
The Road District No. 1 Fund is all of St. Mary Parish excluding Morgan City. The reason is Morgan City operates its own library system and does not participate in the St. Mary Parish Library System. This tax basically trades places with the Library System to the Road District No. 1 Fund.
The choice is clear: better roads or the current roads. U.S. Highway 90 passes through St. Mary Parish, and if there are no good ingress and egress roads, people will have fewer reasons to visit and shop. Remember, Franklin does not have an entrance to Willow Street and no direct road to the Parish Courthouse.
I have never told or asked people how to spend their money. But remember, no tax, no great roads.
Thank you very much!
Albert Foulcard
Parish Council member