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The new committee has been invited to attend the council's public works Comittee meeting so council members could underline the importance of the job before the advisory committee.Almost everyone agrees that the parish's roads are some of the worst in the state, but there is no concensus on what to do about the problem.  Parish President don Menard last year proposed the creation of a parishwide taxing district to address the problem, but that plan was defeated by the voters.  Last month the council voted down a proposal by District 3 councilman Pat Miller to strip gambling rebates from Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino from the parish's 12 municipalities and various parish departments.  The parish gets about $3 million a year from the Downs.  Currently the parish keeps about half of that total and uses it for roads. The rest is shared in a complicated formula with the municipalities and other agencies in the parish.Miller agrued that the seriousness of the roads problems means all that money needs to be used for roads.  Menard has said the roughly $1.6 million the parish gets from the Downs is helpful but insufficient.  According to state Department of Transportation and Development estimates, it takes about $1 million to repair and overlay three miles of two-lane roads.

Parish citizens advisory committee to improve roads members:
Duane Smith, Lewisburg area
Travis Bush, Opelousas
Nolan Guilbeau, Sunset area
Ronald Vidrine, Opelousas
Clarence Guidry, Melville
Sidney Bourgue, Port Barre area
Hayden Cochran, Arnaudville area
Ivan Bourgogne, Opelousas
Walter Reed, Shuteston area
James Richard, Opelousas