Candidates for Governor Want Cities to Have More Control

Louisiana's four major candidates for governor told a packed audience of local elected officials they support giving municipalities more authority to raise their own taxes for roadwork.

The three Republicans — Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle, Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne and U.S. Sen David Vitter — and one Democrat, state Rep. John Bel Edwards, spoke Friday at a Louisiana Municipal Association luncheon in Lafayette.

The men promised to work closely with parish, city and town governments.

They said they'd back giving local governments the ability to drum up more money to patch roads, improve highways and address other transportation needs — if voters locally approve the taxes.

Edwards and Dardenne spoke of letting local governments levy their own gas tax. Angelle and Vitter didn't name a specific tax source.