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Consultants-Taxes-Unnecessary Expenses

Johnny Dollar Even though a community is overtaxed, sometimes consultants are a necessary expense. Sometimes they are also a waste of money and a racket to rip off taxpayers. For example, if specialized knowledge is needed to determine what to do to a municipal sewage treatment plant to get it into environmental compliance, one would hire a person with expertise …

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Town Council Votes to Increase Taxes

The mayor and council members voted August 12, 2024, to increase taxes without further voter approval and adopted increased reassessments resulting in increased taxes to town property owners. The estimated amount of tax revenues to be collected in the next year from the increased millage is $285,271.12 and the amount of increase in taxes attributable to the millage increase is …

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UPPJ Fires Contractor – No Reason Given

Last week at its monthly meeting, the Union Parish Police Jury fired its ‘Certified Building Official’ [building inspector], Inspections Unlimited, LLC, owned by Chad Parker and others, although the company had been doing a good job. The firing was without notice to the contractor and with no reason given for the termination, provoking a heated argument among the jurors, some …

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Water Quality- Sewage- Need $9.3 Million

Farmerville Town Hall, 1024 Sterlington Hwy, Farmerville, LA 71241 Recent reporting by the Gazette has addressed the Town of Farmerville’s environmental indifference [improper asbestos disposal], drinking water quality issues, partially treated and on occasion, raw sewage being released into the ephemeral stream flowing from the town sewage treatment plant into Lake D’Arbonne. Repeated efforts by the Gazette to interview Mayor …

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UP Candidates qualify for public office

Qualifying for public office for the upcoming November 5, 2024, election ended on July 19, 2024. The Louisiana Secretary of State records reflect the following information as to individuals who qualified as candidates for local public offices in Union Parish:Town of FarmervilleMayor: Gerome Nations, Democrat, 714 W. Bayou St. Farmerville, LA 71241, (318) 547-5277, Male, gnation823@gmail.com; John Crow, Independent, 204 …

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Asbestos – Where is the Metz motel?

Farmerville, Rodeo Drive Parish Dump Site where the Metz Motel was dumped near a residential area without asbestos containment. Photo by Gazette 2024. Last week the Gazette reported that a November 2023 grant request by the Town of Farmerville represented to the United States Government that the town needed A$396,000 to address three projects dealing with environmental cleanup. The grant …

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Sniper Hits Trump – Not Fatal

Eerily similar to the Kennedy assassination in 1963, on July 13, 2024, a sniper narrowly missed making a fatal head shot while attempting to kill Former President Donald Trump. Trump survived, suffering a bloody right ear wound. Mere hours later the RNC nominated him as its presidential candidate to seek an unprecedented second term, after a four-year hiatus following Democrat …

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Has the town contaminated Lake D’Arbonne?

The Town of Farmerville has struggled with its sewage treatment system for many years. Built about 1985, the treatment plant requires regular maintenance to prevent its failure. It also requires regular upgrades to keep pace with an expanding use demand.The system is comprised of three parts: the collection system consisting of service lines, collection lines, trunk mains and manholes; the …

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