Anticipating rejection of its proposal to raise Zachary residents’ property tax rate, city leaders asked the council Aug. 12 to amend the budget to reflect the expected shortfall of cash.
The council introduced an ordinance that, if formally adopted later, will grant the administration’s request. The vote came after a lengthy discussion that highlighted tensions that have mounted between members of the council and the administration in recent months — and that have escalated in the past few weeks amid accusations that the city attorney tried to pressure a councilman to vote for the tax increase.
Last month, city leaders proposed rolling forward the tax rate from 5.07 to 5.48 mills, which would generate an extra $98,000 a year. The council agreed to introduce an ordinance increasing the millage on a 3-2 vote. One of the “no” votes came from Councilman John LeBlanc, who alleged that City Attorney John Hopewell threatened him with political consequences if he didn’t agree to the rate hike…