May 1 ballot to include 5 mill tax

The St. Mary Parish Levee District will send out an all points bulletin to voters this month seeking approval of an upcoming millage election on May 1.

The district is asking voters to approve an ad valorem tax that would allow commissioners to levy up to 5 mills of property taxes. The measure would generate an annual $2.5 million for levee protection and maintenance for the next 30 years.

St. Mary Parish has approximately 126 miles of levees across the parish, according to levee district chairman Bill Hidalgo.

If the tax passes, homeowners would be charged an additional $12.50 yearly for homes appraised at $100,000 or, at the maximum, $175.00 for homes appraised at $500,000, he said.

Business owners would be taxed the minimum of $37.50 or the maximum of $500.

Parish President Paul Naquin said the measure is a “much-needed vote.”

“In order to maintain the needs of this parish, we need everyone to pass this. 5 mills over 30 years will help us reach long awaited projects and others that are also much needed,” he noted.

Although there has never been any harsh flooding since the great flood of 1927, the tax proposal would allow St. Mary Parish to maintain all of its levees within its parish boundaries – a first for the parish, which has relied heavily on other sources of support to help keep floodwaters at bay.

Prior to the state Legislature creating the St. Mary Parish Levee District, Attorney Gerard Bourgeois said the Atchafalaya Basin Levee District maintained the levees along the Atchafalaya River, with roughly one-third of the parish paying for this task.

Elsewhere, the City of Morgan City has kept a watchful eye in protecting its boundaries throughout the years, through the city budget and grants.

Patterson and Berwick however, for the most part, have relied on the parish council for any sort of maintenance and levee protection aide.

Floodwaters near Franklin overtopped levees after Hurricane Gustav moved ashore. The proposed millage would help pay for levee protection parishwide. * File photo / Tri-Parish Times