Lowe’s special half-cent sales tax collection at Abbeville store may end in 2015

A special half cent sales tax being collected at Lowe’s Home Improvement Center in Abbeville may come to an end in 2015.
Since 2009, those who shop at Lowes Home Improvement Center in Abbeville have been paying an extra 1/2 cent sales on purchases. For every $100 they spend, the extra 1/2 cent tax cost the consumer an extra 50 cents.
Back in 2008, before construction began, Lowe’s representatives approached Abbeville city officials asking for financial help to offset the cost of the infrastructure development of the site.
Lowe’s requested a special 1/2 cent sales taxto be collected over a period of time that would reach a total of $500,000.
When $500,000 is reached, the 1/2 cent’ sales tax would go away in the Abbeville store.
Today, a total of $373,387 has been collected since 2010. On average, the 1/2 cent sales tax collects $6,200 a month.
In 2008, the Abbeville city council created an Economic Development District 1 for Lowe’s in order to collect the special sales tax.
The Vermilion Parish School Board collects the special tax each month and then sends the City of Abbeville a check for the amount collected. The City then sends Lowe’s a check from the special tax.
The City of Abbeville is also keeping a running total of the amount collected.
Abbeville City Councilman Francis Touchet was a council member in 2008 when the district was set up. He was the lone councilman member who voted against creating the district.
“I went on record as opposing the project,” said Touchet. “At the time, I looked at things from both sides. I looked at it from the side of the customer and the side of Lowe’s.”
Touchet said, at the time, he had “a hard time being able to stomach” the concept. He did not like letting a special business collect a special tax so it could recoup a half of a million dollars.
Since Lowe’s requested a special 1/2 cent sales tax, no other business in Abbeville requested the same deal.