Negotiations between the city-parish and St. George over an intergovernmental agreement appear to be gaining traction after months of stalled discussions.
That’s according to Andrew Murrell, chair of the St. George Transition District and candidate for St. George City Council.
Murrell tells Daily Report that while progress has been slow, the arrival of Mayor Sid Edwards has opened the door for meaningful dialogue.
“We hit a brick wall where the previous administration absolutely did not want to get a deal done,” he says. “We don’t have that obstacle anymore. We have somebody who cares about the entire parish involved.”
Murrell says there are technically three agreements that need to be reached:
- An interim agreement resolving tax revenue and service payment terms from April 26, 2024, when the Louisiana Supreme Court determined it was reasonable for St. George to incorporate, through March 31, 2025, the date St. George’s tax transfer takes effect.
- A tax collection agreement enabling the city-parish to remain the tax collector for St. George.
- A broader “omnibus” agreement settling asset transfers and other municipal matters not addressed in the first two agreements.
While that omnibus agreement may take more time to iron out, Murrell expects the first two of those agreements to be reached “in short order.” He says St. George leadership has been communicating with the mayor’s office in recent weeks to work toward striking a deal, though he acknowledges that Edwards has a lot on his plate at present.
“Mayor Edwards has been extremely busy with the transition of power and getting his administration up to speed, but there have been conversations,” he says. “This administration is going to get it done.”