A month from now, city voters will be asked to renew a street tax first approved in 1994 to maintain city streets. However, what began as a street tax has been “repurposed” to include so much that very little is left to actually fix city streets.
That’s why the city’s Southside members have been in a tug-of-war with Mayor Friday Ellis over the tax renewal that will be on the December 7th ballot. The mayor wants to use only 25% of the $18 million a year for streets and the rest for pet-building projects. The council says the tax should be written to guarantee that it will achieve its original purpose: to repair and maintain city streets.
They have pledged to fight the tax renewal next month, reword it, and then put it back on the ballot in the Spring of next year.
Street Tax
What began as a targeted 10-year tax for street improvements has transformed into what former council president Gene Tarver describes as a potential 25-year “slush fund.” Currently generating $18 million annually, only 25% of the revenue is now allocated for actual street repairs.
“The dilution of the street tax leaves little money available to fix caving streets in South Monroe,” said community activist Marie Brown last August. While city officials maintain that the majority of street repair funds are directed to South Side Districts, they haven’t provided transparency about the remaining 75% of the tax revenue.
Historical Context
The tax’s origins trace back to 1993, when black community leaders, including Rev. E. J. Jones, Alfred Blakes, and others, met at B. J. Ausberry’s Powell Avenue home to address concerns about infrastructure disparities in South Monroe. These meetings led to the successful 1994 referendum under then-mayor Bob Powell.
It’s goal was to fix all city streets and maintain a fund to keep them in good repair.
The tax’s scope expanded and was watered down in 2001 under Mayor Melvin Rambin to include sewer maintenance, waterworks improvements, and funding for police, fire stations, and public buildings. The current administration under Mayor Friday Ellis proposes further changes, including:
- Authorization for sewer system acquisition and water system operational costs
- Expanded funding for public building construction and furnishing
Current Opposition
Rev. Rodney McFarland, leading the Southside members of the City Council’s “Brown Bombers”, has pledged to fight the renewal. “The current tax doesn’t expire until 2029,” McFarland notes, questioning the rush for early renewal. He says there is time to fix the renewal and resubmit it for voter approval early next next.
The issue has created a standoff between Mayor Ellis and council members. Despite repeated council votes to repeal the tax ordinance and mayoral vetoes, McFarland and other Black council members have committed to defeating the current proposal.
Newly elected council members Minister Verbon Muhammad and Councilwoman Juanita Woods have joined McFarland in opposing the tax as currently written.
As December 7th approaches, the dispute highlights ongoing concerns about infrastructure equity and fiscal transparency in Monroe, particularly regarding the distribution of tax revenues between the city’s various districts and projects.
