Only around ten percent of registered voters in LaSalle Parish turned out to cast ballots for the December 7 election.
Only around ten percent of registered voters in LaSalle Parish turned out to cast ballots for the December 7 election.
The low voter turnout saw four parish millage renewal propositions pass, although by extremely close margins.
For the parish wide LaSalle Parish Police Jury’s 10.97-mill property tax renewal for the parish road and bridge fund, voters approved the 10-year extension by 20 votes, 485-465, or 51% YES and 48% NO.
The Jury’s other parish wide renewal, an 8.77-mill property tax for the maintenance and operation of the LaSalle Parish Courthouse for another 10 years, passed by an even slimer margin of just three votes, 480477, or 50.16% YES and 49.84% NO.
Voters in District 3 approved that district’s road and bridge fund 5-mill property tax renewal for another 10 years by an even closer count of just two votes, 48-46, or 51.05% YES and 48.94% NO.
In the Hospital Service District No. 1 (Hardtner Medical Center), the approval rate for their 10.13mill property tax renewal was a bit higher, with voters approving their 10-year extension 103-70, or 60% YES and 40% NO.
The LaSalle Parish Sewerage District No. 1 had the highest approval percentage of all four renewals for its 11.78-mill property tax renewal for 10 years with the final vote of 43-15, or 74% YES and 25% NO.
Voter turnout for the two parish wide propositions was 10.7%, turnout for District 3’s proposition was 11.1%, Hardtner’s proposition saw just 8.2% turnout and the lowest turnout of voters was in the sewer district area, where turnout was just 7.3%.
Also on the small December 7 ballot were four Louisiana Constitutional Amendments.
Statewide, voters approved all four amendments while in LaSalle Parish, voters rejected two of the four.
On Amendment No. 1, which expands the investigative authority and membership of the judiciary commission, LaSalle voters rejected the amendment by a final vote of 305-639, or 32% YES and 68% NO. Statewide, the amendment passed 53% YES to 47% NO.
On Amendment No. 2, which relates to the timing of consideration and required information of appropriations bills, LaSalle voters approved the amendment by a final vote of 623-319, or 66% YES and 34% NO. Statewide, the amendment passed 66% YES to 34% NO.
On Amendment No. 3, which allows the legislature to extend a regular session for a limited time period for a specific reason, LaSalle voters approved the amendment by a final vote of 579-364, or 61% YES and 39% NO. Statewide, the amendment passed 58% YES to 42% NO.
On Amendment No. 4, which provides relative to the administration of tax sales of immovable property, LaSalle voters rejected the amendment by a final vote of 297-637, or 32% YES and 68% NO. Statewide, the amendment passed 55% YES to 45% NO.
Voter turnout statewide on the amendment votes was 10.8%, while LaSalle had a voter turnout on the amendment votes of 10.6% on the first three and 10.5% on the last.
The lowest voter turnout of any voting precinct was found in District 7, Precinct 2, where only two people voted on the sewerage renewal proposition. Several other precincts had fewer than 15 people in total vote.