Gonzales council to take up 1% sales tax hike for Tanger on Tuesday

The Gonzales City Council on Tuesday is set to take a final vote on a proposed 1% sales tax increase at the Tanger Outlet Center that would be split by the outlet center and the city. Tanger would get 70% of the extra sales tax—which would boost total sales tax charged at outlet stores from 8.5 cents to 9.5 cents—and the city would get 30%, says Clay Stafford, Gonzales city clerk and finance director. Stafford says Tanger wants to use its share of the extra tax to expand the outlet mall by 30,000 square feet, and that the city wants to use its share to improve roadways and interchanges near the popular outlet mall—as well as to create a second entrance to it. “We think it’s a win-win because we really need to improve the intersection at the interstate and the one nearby at Robert Wilson Road and (La.) highway 30,” Stafford says. “Those have been tough fixes because they’re state highways, and we’ve had trouble getting state funds for roads. But with the 2 cents we already get from Tanger [in sales taxes] and the extra funds this would generate, we should be looking at another $1 million a year. Now we can fix some roads.” The extra tax, if passed by the council, would go into effect in July and expire after 20 years. It would not apply to outlying mall parcels, which include Chili’s Grill & Bar or Cracker Barrel. Stafford says Tanger has told the city it would like to break ground on its expansion in September and complete it by next summer if the tax is approved. The city council meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 120 S. Irma Blvd., in Gonzales. —Steve Sanoski