Mayor pushes Tax plan again
by Rebekah Allen - Advocate (excerpt)

Holden needs seven council votes to send the tax proposal to the November ballot. On July 27, council members C. Denise Marcelle, Tara Wicker and Joel Boé voted against deleting the tax proposal from the agenda.

Council members Trae Welch, Ulysses “Bones” Addison, Chandler Loupe, Scott Wilson, Ronnie Edwards, Donna Collins-Lewis, Mike Walker, Alison Gary and Rodney “Smokie” Bourgeois voted in favor of deleting item. Loupe said Wednesday he does not think reintroducing the tax package will make a difference. Both he and Boé will be out of town for the Aug. 10 vote. “I just don’t think he has the votes,” Loupe said.

This is Holden’s third attempt at a capital improvements tax package. Voters have rejected similar proposals: a $901 million bond issue in 2009 and a $989 million bond issue in 2008.