This story shows the positive impact on the region related to the Haynesville/Bossier Shale plays.

By Vickie Welborn • vwelborn@gannett.com • February 21, 2010

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20100221/NEWS05/2210305/1064

The Haynesville Shale gets the credit for boosting sales tax collections in several parishes in northwest Louisiana, but in some more so than others.

The most significant hike is in Red River Parish, where collections in the small parish have tripled in a year's time. The five tax collecting agencies generated $24.5 million in 2009, compared to $8 million in 2008. Prior to that, the average was about $2.8 million annually.

"It's really amazing," Red River Sales and Use Commission Executive Director Elaine Moore said.

The Red River Parish School Board got the most last year, with $10.7 million in collections. The others:

• Red River Parish Police Jury, $7.8 million.

• Red River Parish sheriff's office, $5.3 million.

• Town of Coushatta, $665,119.

• Village of Hall Summit, $15,200.

DeSoto Parish's collections also are on pace to set another record for the fiscal year that ends June 30. Parishwide, gross sales and use taxes collected during the first six months of the fiscal year that started July 1 total $45 million, compared to $43.4 million generated from July 1, 2008, through June 30. Sales taxes collected from July 1, 2007, which predates the announcement of the Haynesville Shale, through June 30, 2008, nudged $20 million.

The money is shared among nine tax collecting agencies. The DeSoto Parish School Board, which gets 2.5 percent on every $1 spent, is the biggest benefactor, with more than $27 million going into its bank account so far this year. Coming in second is the DeSoto Police Jury with $10.8 million, and the DeSoto Parish Law Enforcement District with $5.4 million.

Sales taxes for Caddo and Bossier parishes were up slightly in 2009, compared to 2008.

Caddo collected $215.6 million in 2009, compared to $212.7 million the prior year. Bossier's increase was slightly better. In 2009, the parish collected $117.4 million, compared to $109.6 million in 2008.

Experts say that while the Haynesville Shale certainly played a part in keeping the numbers positive, the diverse economy of both parishes probably would have kept everything in the black.

"I think without the shale we would've seen lower numbers, but they still would've been positive," said David Rockett, executive director and president of the Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation. "We have quite a bit of activity in the area. Retail has stayed strong. Health care and tourism continue to be strong. We have activity from the movie industry."