Tax propositions pass in St. Mary
All four tax renewal propositions in St. Mary and a bond issue for a Siracusaville recreation district passed in a low-turnout election Saturday.
The parish's voters also went along with people across the state in rejecting a move toward centralized sales tax collections, tax authority for new levee districts and more flexibility for the Legislature in using dedicated funds. Like voters statewide, St. Mary voters voted for a constitutional amendment lowering the maximum rate for state income taxes.
Parishwide, voters approved a 10-year renewal for an 11.82-mill property tax for the St. Mary Parish public school system. The tax, expected to raise $6.8 million per year, drew 2,050 yes votes, or 54%, to 1,773 no votes, or 46%, according to complete but unofficial returns.
In the Patterson area, voters in Recreation District No. 4 approved a 10-year renewal of a 2.24-mill tax that raises $128,000 a year for maintaining, operating and improving district facilities. The vote was 311 (55%) yes to 254 (45%) no.
Voters had previously rejected the renewal. This time, board members tried to make the case that the tax is small and only a renewal, not a new tax.
Voters in Recreation District No. 2 in the Siracusaville area approved a 13.34-mill tax renewal for 10 years. The vote was 44 (80%) yes to 11 (20%) no.
The tax raises $411,800 a year to care for, operate and improve the district's facilities.
Also in the Siracusaville recreation district, voters approved a $2.55 million bond issue "for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, improving, maintaining or operating parks, playgrounds, recreation centers and other recreational facilities, together with the necessary furnishings and equipment therefor ...," according to the ballot language.
The bond issue passed 43 (78%) to 12 (22%).
The ballot measure allows the term of the bonds to be up to 10 years at an interest rate of no more than 6%.
Another renewal, this one 11 mills for Water and Sewer Commission No. 2 in the Bayou Vista area, passed 165 (58%) to 118 (42%). The tax is forecast to raise $890,000 per year. The renewal is for 10 years.
Four constitutional amendments were on Saturday's ballot:
--Amendment 1 would have paved the way for centralized collection of sales and use tax collections at the state level rather than the current parish by parish system. St. Mary went against the proposal 48%-52%. Statewide, with fewer than 50 of 3,714 precincts yet to report, the amendment was being defeated 196,537-209,707
Proponents said centralized collection would make Louisiana more business-friendly by eliminating a patchwork of procedures in individual parishes. Opponents feared delays in remitting sales tax income to local governments.
--Amendment 2 will lower the maximum rate for Louisiana income taxes to 4.75% from 6% while eliminating the deductibility of federal income taxes on state returns. St. Mary voted for the amendment 51%-49%. Across the state, the measure was passing 219,364-186,460.
The proposal was billed as a step toward making Louisiana taxes flatter and fairer. It was criticized as a break for the well-off.
--Amendment 3 would have allowed levee districts created since Jan. 1, 2006, to collect property taxes. St. Mary voters said no, 40%-60%. The amendment was on its way to defeat statewide, 172,360-237,492
The measure did not apply to the St. Mary Parish Levee District, which was created before 2006.
--Amendment 4 would have allowed the Legislature to use more dedicated funds for other purposes in times of budget shortfall. The cap would have been raised from the current 5% to 10%. St. Mary voters were against the proposal, 27%-73%. The amendment was losing statewide, 112,859-294,158
In parishwide voting in St. Mary, the turnout for Saturday's election was about 11%.