Millages renewed across T’bonne, Lafourche

Voters in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes Saturday overwhelmingly approved property tax renewals to fund three fire departments and a road lighting district.

Residents of Lockport voted to renew a 10-year, 5.24-mill property tax for Fire District No. 2. The vote was 88 percent in favor, 12 percent against. The Lafourche Parish Assessor’s Office estimates the tax will generate $190,000 for the Lockport Volunteer Fire Station.

Money from the tax, the district’s main revenue source, will fund operations and pay to purchase fire trucks and other equipment.

Voters in the Gheens area approved a 10-year, 10-mill property tax renewal to maintain and purchase fire trucks and other equipment for Fire District No. 9. Eighty-eight percent of residents voted in favor.

The tax could generate $49,059 for the Vacherie-Gheens Volunteer Fire Company. The department will replace a 22-year-old pumper and a 28-year-old rescue and salvage truck with the revenue.

In Terrebonne, eighty percent of voters in Chauvin approved a 10-year, 16.15-mill property tax renewal to fund the Little Caillou Fire Department.

The tax, which brings in around $1.1 million annually for the department, will be used to fund operations and purchase fire trucks, firefighting equipment and emergency medical equipment.

The word “renewal” was left off the ballot in Chauvin because the fire department uses some of the revenue from the tax to provide medical services, which make up the bulk of their emergency responses, said Little Caillou Fire Chief Marty Thibodeaux.

Also in Terrebonne, voters in the Bourg area renewed a 10-year, 6.5-mill property tax to pay for lighting roads and public places in Road Lighting District No. 3A.

The tax generates around $749,000 yearly for the district, according to parish officials.