Gonzalez council: The Gonzales City Council will consider a proposed 2% increase to hotel taxes to fund a new conference center somewhere along LA 30 at its meeting tonight, WAFB-TV reports. Mayor Barney Arceneaux says the tax is expected to generate between $500,000 and $600,000 per year and would only apply to hotels within the city limits of Gonzales. If approved by the council, Gonzales voters would see the issue on the Dec. 8 ballot. Read the full story.
Neighborhood boosts: The city of Shreveport is getting a $24.2 million grant to help alleviate problems in high-poverty neighborhoods, with The Shreveport Times reporting the money comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Choice Neighborhoods grant. Read the full story.
Tax scammers: The IRS has issued a warning that calls small businesses receive claiming to be from the government agency could be scams. The IRS notes that scammers use phone calls, emails and even in-person visits to try and scare people into turning over funds. But the government generally doesn’t start communicating with a taxpayer via email or phone calls. Read the full story.
