FINAL UPDATE: Road district proposition fails; school, drainage district taxes pass

The Road District No. 1 proposition, put forward by the St. Mary Parish Council as a way to pay for road work, was defeated Saturday in a light voter turnout.

According to complete but unofficial returns, 1,012 people voted for the bond issue and tax re-dedication that would have repaid the bonds. The no votes totaled 1,149, or about 53 percent of the vote.

The proposition proposed selling $6.5 million in bonds to pay for road work in a newly created road district that covers all of St. Mary except Morgan City, which did not take part in the election. The bonds would have been repaid by re-dedicating a portion of a library district property tax that is no longer needed for debt service.

Opponents said that neither the excess portion of the library tax nor the new road district is needed.

Also Saturday, each of three tax renewals for St. Mary Parish public school maintenance, each around 12 mills, passed easily.

In Consolidated District No. 2, where an existing 12.17-mill tax was on the ballot, the renewal passed 586-412.

In Consolidated District No. 3, where the renewal was for 12 mills, the measure passed 622-485.

And in 6th Ward Special School District No. 3, where the renewal was for 11.75 mills, the vote was 322-203.

A 2.5-mill tax that pays about a quarter of the operating expenses for Consolidated Gravity Drainage District No. 2, passed easily, 294-189. The district operates a series of pump stations that provide flood control in Morgan City.

The polls closed at 8 p.m.

All St. Mary ballot measures:

Law Enforcement District No. 1, 15 Mills, continuation
1 of 1 precincts
23 Yes--PASSED
12 No

Road District No. 1, $6.5 million bond issue, 20 years
42 of 42 precincts
1,012 Yes
1,149 No--FAILED

Consolidated School Dist. Number Two -- 12.17 Mills, 10 years
14 of 14 precincts
586 Yes--PASSED
412 No

Consolidated School Dist. Number Three -- 12 Mills 10 years
24 of 24 precincts
622 Yes--PASSED
485 No

Sixth Ward Special School Dist. No. 3 -- 11.75 Mills 10 years.
14 of 14 precincts
Yes 322--PASSED
No. 203

Consolidated Gravity Drainage District No. 2 -- 2.5 Mills 10 years
12 of 12 precincts
294 Yes--PASSED
189 No

Waterworks District No. 5 -- 4.60 Mills - 10 years
11 of 11 precincts
225 Yes--PASSED
131 No

Ward 4 Fire Protection Dist. No. 2 -- 4 Mills - BOC 10 years
6 of 6 precincts
Yes 146--PASSED
No 71

Sewerage District No. 8 -- 6.44 Mills 10 years
6 of 6 precincts
86 Yes--PASSED
45 No

Mosquito Control District No. 1 -- 7.19 Mills 5 years
1 of 1 precincts
33 Yes--PASSED
2 No