A senate bill that would abolish the North Lafayette Redevelopment Authority is being opposed by some in the community who don't want the long-dormant group to go away.
State Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette, introduced Senate Bill 480 that would abolish the authority and transfer its powers, which includes the ability to propose taxes, to the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, which serves the entire parish.
"By taking the specific tool of the North Lafayette Redevelopment Authority off the table, it just muddies the water on development of North Lafayette that we know has been disinvested for 30-40 years," Ravis Martinez, president of the Lafayette NAACP and principal in Sivarco Group and Pride Opportunity Developers, said at a news conference Tuesday.
The North Lafayette Redevelopment Authority was created by state legislation in 2008 but was never funded and remained dormant from 2016. In 2021 some attempted to resurrect the board as former Mayor-President Josh Guillory tried to allocate $250,000 for the group to hire an executive director and secretary.
The City and Parish Councils voted down the allocation and the appointing authorities, including Boudreaux, and refused to appoint new board members. The board again became dormant.
Martinez said the reason the authority has no money, no building and no resources "is politics" in appointing authorities and agencies not being able to work together.
Legislators like Boudreaux should discuss plans with community leaders before proposing things like legislation that would abolish the authority, Martinez said, adding that Boudreaux didn't put forth any effort to make the authority work, calling it a disservice to the community.
Carlos Harvin, a bishop and small business owner who worked in the Guillory administration, said the North Lafayette Redevelopment Authority could work with LEDA as its own taxing authority just at the Downtown Development Authority does.
Harvin expressed frustration that large developments like Top Golf are all going to the southside of the city.
North Lafayette, they said, needs an agency that focuses on development specifically in North Lafayette, where two interstates intersect and where there remains undeveloped land.
"Have we been intentional in building the workforce on the northside?" Martinez said. "Have we been intentional in making sure that we provided every type of (incentive) for businesses to come to North Lafayette?
The men asked local legislators to stop passage of Boudreaux's bill or asked that the governor not sign it if it passes both houses of the legislature.
The senate voted 38-0 Tuesday to approve the bill, which will move to the House for consideration.