May 9 election, target date for school tax, put off until July

After the St. Mary School Board finally found a resolution likely to get its proposed sales tax on the May 9 ballot, the May 9 election has been postponed.
The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office says the May 9 municipal elections have been postponed until July 25 as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19.
As of Monday morning, the tax proposition was still on the agenda for a meeting of the Louisiana State Bond Commission’s Ad Hoc Subcommittee. Bond Commission approval is required for the proposition to go before voters.
The School Board passed its original resolution in December, calling for a May 9 vote on a half-cent sales tax to pay for raises for teachers and other staff members and to create a fund for technology enhancements. The tax proposition requires approval from the Louisiana State Bond Commission.
The tax would have raised $4.25 million a year to finance a $3,000 annual raise for teachers and a $1,500 raise for noncertified staff members. Proponents said the raises are needed to make St. Mary Parish competitive in attracting and retaining good teachers.
Opposition centered on the tax hike’s impact on St. Mary’s economy. State Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, also objected to the lack of a sunset provision in the tax proposal and the size of the increase. He suggested that a 0.3% tax would be more palatable to voters.
The Bond Commission deferred action on the tax proposal Feb. 20. At a March 3 special meeting, the School Board added a five-year limit on the tax, after which voters would have to renew.
Then, in the face of continuing objections, the School Board changed the resolution again at its Thursday regular meeting, eliminating the dedication to technology and reducing the size of the sales tax proposal to 0.45%.
Allain told The Daily Review on Friday that he wouldn’t oppose placing the reduced tax proposal on the May 9 ballot. Later Friday, Gov. John Bel Edwards’ executive order on coronavirus precautions led to the postponement of the April 4 presidential preference primary and the May 9 election.
At one point, Allain said that if the School Board continued to insist on a half-cent tax, he’d hold out for a tax vote to coincide with the Nov. 3 presidential election. Turnout is expected to be greater in November.
But School Board members said the May 9 election was important because it would allow the administration to have raises and funding in place as it recruited teachers for the 2020-21 school year.