Recreation district wants to combine two millages

Recreation District 3 will hold a special election Nov. 21, proposing to combine existing maintenance and operation property taxes to save election expenses.
Recreation District 3 covers the Bayou Vista area.
“Right now, we have two, maintenance and operation, millages,” Recreation District 3 board of commissioners chairman Stan Robison said. “Two separate millages.”
The current total millage rate for Recreation District 3 is 8.78.
One operation and maintenance millage expires in 2017 and is 4.42 mills. The second operation and maintenance millage, which is 2.86 mills, expires in 2020.
Another 1.5 mills goes to repay bonds.
The total millage amount will remain the same regardless of whether the proposal passes, Robison said.
He believes merging the two operation and maintenance millages is economically beneficial.
“Rather than have two elections in three years, which is an expense to us and an expense to taxpayers, we’re trying to cut some cost here,” Robison said.
Recreation District 3 passed a resolution at its regular Aug. 24 meeting to levy a tax of 9 mills on all property subject to taxation for a period of 20 years. There were no guest comments and no opposition from board members contesting the resolution.
If a majority of residents vote for the tax, it would be effective 2016 and expire in 2035.
The resolution passed by Recreation District 3 regarding the tax is to maintain, operate and improve recreational facilities in the district. The proposed tax is said to be in lieu of and replace all other taxes now being levied by the district for operation and maintenance.
The combined millage levied is separate from the debt serviced tax.
“We want to get the message out that we have a renewal tax coming out in November,” Robison said. “Yes, it says 9 mills, but if you read the resolution what it basically says is we’re capped out at 9 mills.
“A lot of people don’t understand the difference between millages,” Robison said.
Debt service millages must go to repay bonds. Operation and maintenance millages are for paying the day-to-day bills and keeping up the facilities.
Robison can be contacted for information regarding the proposed tax in the upcoming special election at 985-397-1760.
--By Shea Drake
sdrake@daily-review.com