Early voting starts locally Saturday

Early voting for the May 4 election, which includes a number of high-profile tax issues, begins Saturday.

Open to all registered voters, early ballots can be filed each day – excluding Sunday – from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., through April, 27 at various locations in the Tri-parishes.

In Terrebonne, early voting is at the Courthouse Annex Building, ground floor entrance near Goode and School streets in Houma. Voters there will determine the fate of two parish-wide property-tax issues.

The Terrebonne Parish School District seeks to levy 31 mills for improvements to school facilities, pay raises for teachers and adding instructional programs.

Twenty mills are scheduled to sunset after 10 years and expected to raise $16.2 million per year. The remaining 11 mills would sunset in 20 years and collect and estimated $8.9 million per year. The taxes are under one proposition.

A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 in assessed property value. If it passes, Terrebonne property owners with homestead-exempt property appraised at $150,000 would see their bill rise by $232.50. The district currently collects 9.27 mills.

Voters will also decide on a 2.11-mill tax that would come with membership into the Bayou Lafourche Freshwater District.

If the tax is approved, Terrebonne will become a member of the BLFD and have a voice in the water-use rate hikes that are expected. If the property tax fails, other BLFD members will decide the decision of how much to charge Terrebonne users for water.

If passed, property owners with homestead-exempt property appraised at $150,000 would see their bill rise $3.16.

Early voters in Lafourche can log their decisions in the registrar of voters’ Thibodaux office – 307 W. Fourth St. – or Galliano Office – 16241 E. Main St., Cut Off.

Lafourche voters of various districts are faced with property-tax propositions.

In Ward 10, voters are being asked to renew the 1 mill collected by the Veterans’ Memorial District. One mill equates to roughly $7.50 in taxes for homestead-exempt property appraised at $150,000.

Ward 10 voters are also posed with a 0.2-mill increase to finance a new clinic on the Lady of the Sea General Hospital Campus. If passed, homestead exempt property owners with a $150,000 in appraised property would see their bill rise by $1.50.

In Ward 11, the Bayou Blue Recreation District seeks to levy an additional 9.9-mill tax scheduled to sunset in 20 years. The district, which already collects 4.52 mills, wants to revamp the recreational complex on Mazerac Street.

If approved, the property-tax bill for $150,000 in homestead-exempt property would increase by $74.25.

In St. Mary Parish, early voting is held at the parish courthouse – 500 Main St. No. 301, Franklin – and the parish annex building – 301 Third St., Morgan City.

Voters in Hospital District. No. 1 will vote on continuing a 3.47-mill property tax for the purpose of maintaining, improving and operating the district’s facilities. The tax value based on homestead-exempt property appraised at $150,000 is roughly $26.

For more information, contact specific registrar of voters’ offices. The phone number in Terrebonne is (985) 873-6533; the number in Lafourche is (985) 447-3256; and the number in St. Mary is (337) 828-4100.