Recreation millage vote postponed

A Terrebonne Parish Recreation property tax renewal vote has been pushed from May to October.

Officials with Recreation District 2-3 confirmed last week that they’d voted unanimously at a recent meeting to take the 5 mill renewal vote off the ballot, citing cost concerns for paying non-statewide election costs as the only item on a ballot — a tally which could have cost the district close to $30,000.

“It was just a money thing,” Rec. 2-3 Board Chairman Jeff Teuton said. “It just came down to dollars and cents. A concerned citizen told us of the costs that would be involved in being alone on the ballot and once we saw that, it was an easy decision there.”

By placing the millage renewal in the fall during a state election, costs will be minimal and there will likely be far greater voter turnout.

BALLOTS MAILED WILL BE FUNDED BY REC. 2-3

The Terrebonne Parish Registrar of Voters confirmed to The Times late last week that the millage vote was now off the ballot, while also giving additional information about the process.

Rec. 2-3 announced early last week on social media that a “unanimous vote” to postpone had been cast at a board meeting to delay the election, but the Registrar said they didn’t receive word from the Secretary of State’s Office to confirm that until late last week.

Teuton said the vote took place at their last board meeting, on April 4, 2019. He said he was not at the meeting, but that he and other board members “spoke before the meeting beforehand and all agreed.”

An agenda was posted on the group’s Facebook page for the April 4, 2019 meeting, but no item on the agenda lists mention of a vote or discussion about the renewal.

Teuton said it was voted onto the agenda during the meeting.

“There wasn’t anything secretive about it,” Teuton said. “We knew going in that we were going to make that decision.”

The decision to postpone the election came after the Registrar mailed more than 200 ballots to mail-in voters in that district.

The voting office wants locals to know that the ballots are no longer valid and that any votes mailed in will not be looked at or counted.

Rec. 2-3 will be on the hook for the cost of the ballots, but they will be spared the rest of the fees they could have incurred had the millage come to a May vote. Election sites will have notes posted on their front doors on the May election date stating that the vote has been postponed.

CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS MILLAGE RENEWAL

The millage renewal, itself, is not free from public backlash.

Board members say the renewal is needed because it will provide much-needed funding to continue what they believe is a recreation department that’s now headed in the right direction after the scandals of the past 18-24 months.

Teuton said work at the Bayou Country Sports Park is predicated on the millage renewal passing, adding that without it, the project may not happen at all.

“We’re making progress,” he said. “It’s just been slow. Working in the public is so slow. People don’t realize it, but things just take time.”

Rec. 2-3 Board members have used social media heavily to campaign for the renewal, adding that those monies would help the department move forward.

The millage ends in Jan. 2021.

But there is opposition.

A group named Rec Reform for Terrebonne is quickly growing and gaining support. Part of their mission is to reorganize populated rec districts with one, balanced millage.

A renewal of the existing millage would be a blow to reform efforts, according to Hank Babin, a representative with the group.

He said he wants the public to be given the opportunity to vote on reform before being asked for another renewal.

“Our concerns and message are the same no matter when the election is held,” Babin said in a statement. “But this is a great opportunity for the people to be allowed to vote for reform before another renewal.”

There were concerns within circles in Terrebonne Parish about the timing of a May renewal vote, given that the millage still wouldn’t expire for 18 months and that a May election would likely have brutally low turnout, which could skew results away from what best represents the public’s interests.

Babin said the people of the area need to know that what’s being done currently in recreation can still be changed, adding that he wants a vote to be held for reformation before a millage renewal.

“(Our people) have the right to know there are other options on the table so that we can do even more with the recreation system in our parish,” Babin said. “Our residents need a system that will speed up completion of the (Bayou Country) sports park, maintain our neighborhood parks and allow for future needs to be met while helping to grow our economy. Let’s vote on a new direction first. Rec 2-3 still has all of 2020 and part of 2021 to get their millage renewed if we

decide to keep things as they currently are.” •

RecreationKARL GOMMEL | THE TIMES

Follow Casey on Twitter for more. 

https://twitter.com/casey_gisclair