3-15-99

Election Year

A few days ago, I went to Iberville Bank at Pierre Part, Louisiana to collect for an automobile that Iberville Bank financed at
Ralph Sellers. As I sat in the lobby waiting for the check, I looked across the road at a billboard. There was a sign of someone that
had already announced to run against the present Sheriff in Assumption Parish.

On the way home, I began to think WHO is going to announce against Jeff Wiley and how quick will they announce. As I
drove back to Gonzales, some thoughts were on the future race in Ascension Parish and the campaign in regards to the 1998 secret
tax election that was held on a day that there was nothing else to vote on.

In that secret election, everyone living outside the City Limits of Donaldsonville, Gonzales or Sorrento pay more taxes than
the people living in Donaldsonville, Gonzales and Sorrento. These outsiders are not the happiest people in Ascension Parish.

I found this interesting news article in the Tuesday, March 9 Advocate: "Gonzales Opposes State Collection of Local
Taxes". Now, these few lines were found in that short article by John McMillan: "In other action, the Council agreed to take action
to annex two pieces of property adjoining the City Limits".

One piece consists of four acres owned by auto dealer Price LeBlanc. It is the old Henderson-Sellers property on Airline
Highway. The other is seven acres, owned primarily by H. E. Pertuis, Jr. A small part of the tract is owned by Judson Baptist
Association. The property is behind Wal-Mart on Airline Highway.

Now, some of you may ask WHY would these people want to become part of the City of Gonzales?

Two of the major reasons are:

1. Insurance: because the City has its own Fire Department and sewerage and water district, the City's insurance rates are
cheaper.

Under this present Parish Council, the difference in insurance cost will continue to WIDEN and more and more people will
be coming to the cities saying please annex us. It is easier for the Cities to annex the people to furnish them with water and sewerage
than what is being proposed by the Council today.

The other reason is TAXES.

A huge business that sells retail will have to pay Jeff Wiley's one-half cent sales tax placed upon each retail business outside
the City Limits.

Business in Ascension Parish already face a rough time competing against Wal-Mart before that added the one-half cent
sales tax. Some people call this a competition disadvantage.

All large pieces of property adjoining the City Limits of Gonzales has recently increased in value, though not as much as large
pieces within the City Limits.

Large properties in Sorrento and Donaldsonville City Limits will be worth more.

How soon will OPPOSITION CANDIDATES announce?



O. W. Stevens