While many people spoke their opinion at the meeting at Abbeville City Hall Tuesday, for the most part all were cordial and pleasant to one another. However, a comment made by Councilman Wayne Landry in support of the Lowe’s facility started a brief interaction between him and Brian Crouch, a resident who spoke out against the 1/2 percent tax at Lowe’s.

Councilman Landry asked to address the audience when he stated, “I heard a lot here tonight and I admire everything that was said. I’m looking at a lot of people in District D the other side of Maude Avenue that has come to me and asked me about jobs at Lowe’s. I know some of you own businesses, but I don’t see people who live on the other side of the track working for you.”

Councilman Landry shared with the audience his concerns for the people in his district. “

“We have people on the other side of the track that’s on drugs, having babies at 10 years old; doing all those things that is because of poverty. I contend that if we don’t have jobs in this community, we will continue to see these things happening in our community.”

Crouch took offense at the councilman’s statement and stood to address the councilman. Two police officers who were in the room moved toward him as he stated, “Hey, how dare you accuse anybody for not caring sir! I give to the community, I help out. Are you saying we’re racist?”

At that point Crouch was escorted out of the meeting.

In addition business owners who were present stated the opinion that it is unfair that a corporation gets breaks and they do not. Store owner Owen Lachaussee took the opportunity to speak and said, “When I talked to you Mayor about this at the Kiwanis meeting the other day, you and I spoke about it and I’m going to quote you and you said, ‘yeah it’s not right but that’s corporate America’.”

He continued, “If it’s not right it’s not right. You can say all you want about me being sour grapes because I have an appliance store here in this town, but it’s not that. I can’t stop Lowe’s from coming into Abbeville and so I am willing to compete, but at the same time we shouldn’t be giving them an advantage.”

Lachaussee concluded with the fact that he didn’t get a tax advantage when he started his business. “It’s not fair to me it’s not fair to every business in the city or in Vermilion Parish when you’re giving them special treatment.

The Economic Development District was created with a vote of 4-1.