I'm writing to invite you to a press conference this Monday at 3pm to address a troubling development in our parish. This would cost our public schools and other public bodies nearly $1 million in lost funding, unless it is addressed.

Please read the info below. If you are able to attend on Monday, please email here to let me know.

PRESS CONFERENCE of faith, community and education leaders
Monday, February 5th, 3pm
Government Plaza, 505 Travis Street, Shreveport
Attending Caddo Commission meetings immediately following

Here's what's going on ...

On Monday, February 5th, two corporations will make requests to the Caddo Commission to receive exemptions from their property taxes.

If approved, these exemptions would cost taxpayers more than $809,000 in tax-payer subsidies over 8 years (most of it coming from Caddo Parish schools), allegedly to incentivize industrial development.

We have obtained documents revealing that, in both cases, the proposed subsidies are not going to incentivize projects at all, but are being requested for projects that already are complete.

For one of the applications, from Calumet, a project seeking $737,000 in taxpayer "incentives" actually went under construction in 2015 and was completed in May 2016.

For a second application, from Inferno Manufacturing, a project is seeking public subsidies of $71,000 for the purchase of a machine that was made in 2016.

A legal opinion has confirmed that awarding a public subsidy to "incentivize" a project that already has been completed would be illegal under the Louisiana constitution.

You can view the documents here.

Northern and Central LA Interfaith and Together Louisiana will hold a press conference on Monday, February 5th, at 3pm at Government Plaza (505 Travis Street) to release these documents to the media and to call upon the Caddo Commission to reject taxpayer subsidies for projects that already are complete.

If you are able to attend the press conference or meeting tomorrow, please email here to let me know.

Immediately after the press conference, we will attend the Caddo Commission Work Session and Economic Development Committee meeting, to give public testimony.

If you have questions, please call me at (318) 465-342.

Thank you.

Susan Caldwell

Northern and Central LA Interfaith / Together Louisiana