[StBernard] United oversight of levees urged

[Westley Annis]

United oversight of levees urged
Consolidation backer makes pitch to board 
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
By Sheila Grissett
East Jefferson bureau 

Louisiana Sen. Walter Boasso, stumping statewide for levee board
consolidation, said Tuesday that the strongest pocket of opposition is
centered in Jefferson and Orleans parishes. 

 
"It's been underground," the Arabi Republican said. "But you're starting to
see bumper stickers popping up that say, 'Support your local levee board.' "


Boasso sponsored legislation this year to consolidate levee boards, and the
proposal is on the Sept. 30 ballot in the form of a constitutional
amendment. 

He said polling indicates there is now enough statewide support to pass the
measure. But he told East Jefferson Levee District commissioners Tuesday
that he wants the amendment to pass by an "overwhelming margin" to send a
strong national message that Louisiana will no longer conduct business as
usual. 

The East Jefferson Levee Board has not take a position on consolidation. 

Boasso has said that the New Orleans region's fragmented system of flood
control and hurricane protection contributed to the tragic flooding during
Hurricane Katrina. 

"The Corps of Engineers is making a tremendous amount of plans now on what
they'll be doing in the future," he said. "The whole premise behind a
regional approach is to make sure that something's good for everybody." 

If approved by voters, the constitutional amendment would dissolve
individual levee boards into one for St. Bernard Parish, the east banks of
Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes and the
southern portions of St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes. Another sole board
would cover areas on the west bank of the Mississippi River. 

The two levee districts would be overseen by boards that Gov. Kathleen
Blanco would appoint. By law a majority of appointees would have expertise
in accounting, law, engineering or hydrology or other water-related fields. 

Boasso said the single biggest piece of "misinformation" circulating is that
current levee district employees would be ousted. 

"Come Jan. 1, nobody loses their jobs. Executive directors of the districts
will stay in place. By no means does everything stop on that day," he said. 

Instead, a single regional director would be hired after Jan. 1, and all
current board members could remain in place until Blanco selects regional
board members. Boasso said a period of transition will let outgoing
commissioners, "in the spirit of common sense," help orient incoming
regional commissioners. 

He said taxes raised within individual districts will not be mixed into a
regional pot. 

"Nobody gets anybody's money," he said. "All millage, assets and debts stay
within the individual districts where they originate." 

Although some districts are in better financial shape than others, Boasso
said the new paradigm would not erase those economic disparities. 

"Everything stays within the district, and you sink or swim," he said. 

. . . . . . . 

Sheila Grissett may be reached at sgrissett at timespicayune.com or (504)
467-1746.