All four tax renewals in St. Mary Parish approved by voters

All four tax renewals on ballots in St. Mary Parish passed by overwhelming margins despite low voter turnout, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website.
Those renewals were the St. Mary Parish Library’s operations and maintenance tax — which affects all areas of the parish outside of Morgan City, which has its own library — along with an operation and maintenance tax for the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium, Berwick’s public works tax and St. Mary Water and Sewer Commission No. 1’s tax for improvements, extensions, operation and maintenance.
The library renewal, a 10-year, 5.72-mill tax that raises about $2.7 million per year, passed with 1,438 (69%) voting for the measure, while 656 (31%) voted against it. Unofficial voter turnout for the measure was 8.2%.
“Obviously we are very pleased that it passed,” St. Mary Parish Library Board of Control Chairperson Cherie Laiche said. “Without it, we would not be able to continue providing services to our patrons and moving forward with plans that we have.”
Laiche said the library system is working on a renovation and expansion project for the Berwick Branch, and there is work eyed at other branches.
“All of that would never be able to take place without this being successful as well as just being able to continue normal services at all of the facilities,” she said.
Meanwhile, the 2-mill, 10-year renewal for operation and maintenance at the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium passed with 412 (70%) voting for the continuation of the tax, while 180 (30%) opposed the measure. Unofficial voter turnout for the measure was 8%.
The measure will raise $786,000 per year.
Berwick’s renewal of its 6-mill, 20-year tax for public works projects, such as recreation, roads and public safety work, passed with 261 (82%) voting for the measure and 56 (18%) opposing it. Unofficial voter turnout for the measure was 10.1%.
“We were kind of worried about just any kind of tax that we brought up, but the calls that I had gotten prior to the election was that they were going to support it because we use that money for everything in town,” Berwick Mayor Duval Arthur said. “We use that money for recreation. We use it for public works. We buy equipment. Whatever we can do with it.”
The millage will raise $180,000 per year.
“That would have been a big hurt to us, a little small town like we are,” if it wouldn’t have passed,” Arthur said.
St. Mary Water and Sewer Commission No. 1’s 9.99-mill property tax renewal for improvements, extensions, operation and maintenance passed with 63 (80%) voting for the renewal and 16 (20%) opposing it.
Commission President Carlo Gagliano Jr. said he is appreciative the residents renewed the tax.
“Without it, it would have been very, very tough to operate (the water plant). With that millage, we do improvements and refurb on the plant,” he said of the 35-year-old facility in the district, which services Amelia and Siracusaville.
The tax is for 10 years and will raise $825,000 per year.
Unofficial voter turnout for the measure was 7.6%.