Terrebonne elections: Lighting, rec taxes renewed

Terrebonne Parish voters narrowly approved renewal of a tax that pays for recreation programs organized at the parish government level Saturday, and also approved renewals of taxes to pay for road lighting in two of the parish’s ten lighting districts and unseated a long-time school board member.

Clyde Hamner drew 1,328 votes to incumbent L.P. Bordelon’s 517, in a runoff that was the final chapter of a newcomer versus incumbent drama that will see a new slate of faces when the board reconvenes.

Renewal of the parish’s recreation tax passed 3,870 to 3,356, a margin of 513 votes.

By votes of 704 to 403, and 311 to 189, a miniscule number of voters Saturday approved renewal of taxes for Lighting District 1 and Lighting District 5, ensuring their continued ability to purchase equipment and services.

All election numbers are based on preliminary but unofficial results from the Louisiana Secretary of State.

The recreation approval will supply in excess of $20 million to the parish’s recreation department from 2021 through 2030, when taxpayers will once again have their say.

The programs funded include youth baseball, softball, football, volleyball, basketball, and cheerleading and adult softball, volleyball, and basketball. Special Olympics and aid to recreation district summer camps are also included.

The recreation tax is not the same as taxes imposed by the parish’s individual recreation districts. They are independent entities that construct and maintain gyms and fields within each of their respective boundaries. Terrebonne Parish Recreation is a department of the consolidated government and works with creating programs and teams for various activities. Many of those teams use fields built and maintained by the recreation districts.

Voter turnout parishwide — using the recreation district as the measure — was 7,726.

That number represents 11.29 percent of the 64,025 registered voters in Terrebonne Parish.

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