The American Press is encouraging voters to support the two LC Rebound bond propositions on Saturday’s ballot — a proactive move now that will strengthen and secure the future of the city for generations to come.

Now is the time to invest in youth and family friendly activities, improve the aesthetics of the city, invest in hard infrastructure, enhance the quality of life, spark economic growth and diversity, expand workforce development and increase tourism, Mayor Nic Hunter said.

We agree.

LC Rebound is expected to create more than $190 million in significant investments across the city while keeping the tax rate the same. It will also modernize and simplify the city’s tax structure and increase its capacity to fund improvement projects through bonds and other funding sources.

Beautifications — and, in some cases, road widening — are planned for Prien Lake Road, La. 14, Sen. J. Bennett Johnson, Enterprise Boulevard, 5th Avenue, Louisiana Avenue, West Sallier, 12th Street, Country Club Road and West Sale Road if the propositions pass. Improving blighted properties along Interstate 10 and adding smart traffic signals citywide is also included in the plans.

Hunter said the hard infrastructure projects will work in tandem with the drainage project that has been underway since 2017.

Some of the recreation projects featured in LC Rebound are a “One Lake Charles” eight-mile bike trail from Riverside Park to Prien Lake Park, Millennium Park and Lakefront Amphitheater upgrades, a linked speaker system around the lakefront and the Lake Charles Event Center grounds, and upgrades to Lock, JD Clifton, Riverside, Veterans Memorial, Huber, Buddy Prejean, Mary Belle Williams and Weaver parks.

Two additional youth centers, enhancements to the Region 5 STEM Center, a flight school at Sowela Technical Community College, and a dormitory for the homeless are also included in LC Rebound.

The tax neutral proposal on Saturday’s ballot is for four existing individual sales taxes to be consolidated into a continuous sales tax of 2 percent and a 25-year sales tax of .5 percent. The 2 percent sales tax is expected to generate $54 million annually — which is the amount the city spends each year on salaries and utilities alone. The .5 percent sales tax would pay for the proposed capital projects.

While voters are being asked to create the 2 percent sales tax in perpetuity, a future city administration would have the power to end it and propose a different tax structure.

According to an economic analysis completed by Daniel Groft, assistant professor of economics at McNeese State University and director of the H.C. Drew Center for Business and Economic Analysis, and Jim Richardson, professor emeritus at LSU, LC Rebound will support 1,500 jobs over the next 10 years and 1,700 jobs over the next 30 years.

This is a “generational, transformational moment,” for the city, Hunter said.

“I think that every community has certain watershed moments, and think that with what we’ve been through over the last few years, we are at one of those moments, and I think it’s important we take advantage of this opportunity.”

Join us Saturday in supporting our council and our mayor and vote yes for the two LC Rebound propositions.