Berwick moves to collect past-due property taxes

BERWICK — Town officials moved forward with plans Tuesday to collect about $7,000 in delinquent taxes over the past three years.
The Town Council approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Louis Ratcliff to enter into an agreement with the Louisiana Municipal Advisory and Technical Services Bureau Corp. for the collection of delinquent property taxes.
Town Attorney Allen McElroy said, “It’s the proper thing to do. It’s the most cost effective way. There’s not going to be any cost to the town. Anything that’s passed on will go to the taxpayer who’s delinquent in taxes.”
Within the next 90 days, Ratcliff hopes to be able to turn all the delinquent taxes over to LaMATS to start the process collection of those taxes, he said. LaMATS charges a fee to the delinquent taxpayers to collect the taxes for the town, Ratcliff said.
Delinquent taxes in 2014 are at about $1,200, while 2013 and 2012 unpaid taxes total roughly $3,000 for each year, Berwick Chief Administrative Officer Newell “Bubba” Slaughter said.
Also at Tuesday’s Berwick council meeting, Shrimp and Petroleum Festival board member Rodney Grow said Morgan City’s wharf along Berwick Bay is going to be under construction within the next few weeks from the U.S. 90 bridge to the railroad bridge, and no one will be allowed to go in that area with the exception of the walkway on top of the seawall.
Construction on Morgan City’s wharf will last nine to 12 months, Morgan City Councilman Louis Tamporello said.
Therefore, Grow requested that the town allow both Morgan City’s “Rock the 5th” celebration on July 5 and the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival to use Berwick venues for some of the festivities.
For “Rock the 5th,” Grow asked permission to do a radio broadcast and provide music accompanying a fireworks show in Berwick by the lighthouse starting at 9 p.m. Morgan City will still hold “Rock the 5th” festivities in Lawrence Park starting at 11 a.m., Tamporello said.
Berwick Mayor Pro-tem Jacki Ackel said the Town of Berwick has its own festivities planned for “Rock the 5th” in Berwick in addition to Morgan City’s plans. A band will start playing at 5 p.m., and food and drinks will also be sold, Ackel said.
Berwick and Morgan City are partnering to put on the fireworks show at 9 p.m. July 5.
For the “Blessing of the Fleet” at the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival, Grow also requested that the festival be allowed to use the Berwick side of the riverfront for the blessing in front of the lighthouse, which follows the Mass in Lawrence Park in Morgan City. Bishop Shelton Fabre of the Houma-Thibodaux Diocese will officiate the Mass, Grow said.
The council approved all of Grow’s requests.
In other business, the council
—Approved a resolution to call an election on Oct. 24 to renew the town’s drainage fee of $25 per acre.
—Approved a resolution to name The Daily Review the town’s official journal for 2015-16.
—Announced a budget workshop to be held at 6 p.m. July 16 and July 23, if needed.

This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald of The Daily Review staff. Reach him at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com