Lafourche Parish car dealerships get raw deal from sheriff's department, AG's office

Houma Today reports:

A handful of south Lafourche companies say they deserve refunds of sales taxes because of a special state program they were involved with.

But Louisiana’s attorney general, in an opinion released last week, took the position that such a rebate is not required by law and that Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre is not required to give one.

The Attorney General’s Office had previously concluded that Lafourche Law Enforcement District No. 1, which includes the Sheriff’s Office, would be required to provide the rebate under the Louisiana Enterprise Zone Act if the Parish Council endorsed the rebate.

That opinion has since been recalled.

The new opinion states the Sheriff’s Office would have to first show its approval of the resolution before rebates were possible.

As a result of the ruling, the Sheriff’s Office currently does not have to provide rebate money to Cut Off-based automobile dealer Golden Motors and three Edison Chouest Offshore companies, C-Port, C-Port2 and Galliano Marine Services because the tax money is dedicated for employee salaries.

Posted by MBC at January 16, 2009 02:26 PM