Two Lafayette Parish property tax renewals rejected by voters in Saturday's election probably suffered by a "No To Them All" ballot initiative successfully aimed at defeating four state constitutional amendments, Mayor-President Monique Boulet said Monday.
"I don't think it was targeted at our renewals," she said.
Many people voted no down the ballot, including on the parish tax renewals, Boulet said. But the percentage of people who voted against the constitutional amendments in Lafayette Parish was higher than the percentage voting against the taxes.
Unofficial results from Saturday's election show people in Lafayette Parish voted:
- 53% against a 4.47-mill parish property tax renewal for roads and bridges.
- 52% against a 3.81-mill parish property tax renewal for drainage, fire protection in unincorporated areas, roads and bridges, public health units, mosquito control, animal control and the coroner's office.
On the four statewide constitutional amendments, Lafayette Parish residents voted:
- 63% against Amendment No. 1 that would have provided disciplinary proceedings over attorneys and created courts of limited jurisdiction.
- 60% against Amendment No. 2 that would have provided with respect to the power of taxation and teacher pay raises.
- 65% against Amendment No. 3 to allow the state Legislature to determine which felony crimes committed by someone under 17 years old may be tried as adult crimes
- 61% against Amendment No. 4 to provide for the use of the earliest election date to fill judicial vacancies.
Lafayette Parish voters, Boulet said, can expect to see the two property tax renewals on a fall ballot. A date for that election is unclear as officials need to confer with the State Bond Commission first, she said.
While parish officials did little to publicize the tax renewals before Saturday's election, Boulet said the second attempt will be different.
"I would not say it was intentional" not to publicize the renewals, she said, but officials definitely will be more visible and vocal discussing where those tax dollars are spent before the fall election.