Main Street Board and Committees

Main Street Board

Raynell Gilder, President
Ezora Proctor, Vice President
Melissa Guidry, Secretary-Treasurer
Ron Lawson, Historic Commissioner
Hank Capel, Economic Restructuring Chairperson
Providencia "Rita" Johnson, Main Street Manager

Main Street Board Committees

Main Street Programs

Facade Grants

The Main Street Program, through the Louisiana Main Street Program, offers facade grants to help improve the appearance of downtown while encouraging good design.

The facade grants are awarded on an annual basis.  These funds are to be given to projects that contribute to the commercial revitalization of the historic central business district.  Properties must be located within the geographically designated Main Street area and must be at least 50 years old.  There are some exceptions.  This is a matching grant.

These grants are financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior through the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, Division of Historic Preservation.

This program received Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties.  Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, natural origin or handicap in its federally assisted programs.

Tax Abatement

If an owner improves, renovates or adds onto a building, the assessed value goes up and so do the property taxes.  Under the Restoration Tax Abatement Program, the assessed value and the property taxes can be frozen at the pre-improvement level for five years, resulting in substantial tax savings.  In addition, this program can be used in combination with the federal historic preservation tax credit program, resulting in even more substantial savings.

The tax abatement program is available for buildings individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places or buildings that are considered historic components of Register districts.  The state tax abatement program can be used both for commercial structures and owner-occupied private homes.

Tax Credits

A tax credit is a direct, dollar for dollar, reduction in the amount of money a taxpayer must pay in taxes for a given year.  Example:  if a taxpayer owes $7,000 in taxes to the IRS, but has a tax credit of $3,500, he only pays $3,500.  A credit is much better than a deduction which merely reduces a taxpayer's taxable income and may put him in a lower tax bracket.  If a taxpayer earns more credit than he can use in a single year, he can carry the credit forward up to 20 years, and backward 1 year.

317 North Parkerson Avenue
Post Office Box 901
Crowley, Louisiana 70527-0901

Office: (337) 788-4123
Fax:  (337) 788-4129