By T. Scott Boatright
Grambling’s City Council approved a resolution to keep property tax millage rates the same for 2025 as it held its monthly meeting for July Thursday evening at City Hall.
A millage is the tax rate that applies in the calculation of a specific property tax levy expressed in tenths of a penny as opposed to percentages.
“We’re not going up on any millages at this time, so basically, our taxes will remain the same as we move forward,” said Mayor Alvin Bradley.
The City Council also approved Bradley to sign a contract with HGA of Ruston to develop a 10-year Master Plan for the city.
Part of that Master Plan will likely build on Bradley’s hopes of Grambling piggybacking off the ongoing construction of a Buc-ee’s Travel Center will bring to Lincoln Parish when the renowned giant convenience store opens off of Tarbutton Road in Ruston next year.
Extending the north side Interstate 20 Service Road from Tarbutton Road to Grambling is part of Bradley’s plan.
The hoped-for road would run parallel to I-20 in front of around 1.5 miles of mostly wooded property not considered to be in either Ruston or Grambling city limits.
Two phases are planned to build the road — the first from the Buc-ee’s construction site at the north intersection of I-20 and Tarbutton Road to a new service road that will access the travel center, and the second phase extending the road from the Ruston city limits to the Grambling city limits.
Grambling would be responsible for finishing the road from its city limits to a yet-to-be-determined point that would tie into the Grambling I-20 interchange, thought likely to end near the now vacant original The Keg building in Grambling.
Also approved was introduction of an ordinance to amend a Public Works ordinance for grass cutting that was proposed by Councilman John Brown.
“It includes changing job titles and responsibilities and also increasing costs of services rendered,” Brown said of the proposed amendments.
The city of Grambling notifies property owners with out of control grass growth and if those property owners don’t cut their yards within a specified amount of time, the city’s Public Works department will cut it and charge the homeowners for those services.
“That ordinance has been around for years and hasn’t been changed even though the costs of those services have increased significantly, ” Brown said. “This will bring it all into alignment with the costs of doing so these days and specify who will perform those services.”
In other business, Councilman Jerry Lewis gave an update on his proposal to potentially add a second garbage truck for the city.
“With only one truck, when that truck breaks, we have to either bring someone else in to run our garbage pick-up routes, or we have to rent the equipment,: Lewis said. “Public Works Director Eric Caldwell and I have located a truck that could and with that truck, they have also offered a payment plan. I hope to get it all done and bring it back to the Mayor and Council so that it can be voted on.”
Councilwoman Devaria Ponton also presented an update on Grambling’s involvement in the state’s Keep Louisiana Beautiful program.
“The city of Grambling is now an affiliate of the Keep Louisiana Beautiful program,” Ponton said. “We join four other community affiliates to become part of the new class for this program for 2025.
“We had to attend meetings and training sessions that was about a nine-month process. What this does for us is gives us the ability to apply for additional grant funding now that we’re an affiliate. We did apply for one grant for us to have a city sign, and we’re awaiting to hear about the status of that grant.”
Grambling’s City Council also approved the hiring of Ronnie Skinner for the Grambling Fire Department.
