Early voting begins this Saturday, April 20, to renew the Road Lighting District 5 tax at a lower millage rate.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tangipahoa Parish Councilman David Vial
district8@tangipahoa.org

HAMMOND—Early voting begins this Saturday, April 20, to renew the Road Lighting District 5 tax at a lower millage rate.

Tangipahoa Parish Councilman David Vial said the proposition, which appears on the May 4 general election ballot, lowers the maximum millage from 15 down to just 10 mills for the lighting district that covers the rural area just outside of Hammond.

The 10-year renewal will enhance and maintain road lighting in the district boundaries which stretch from South Airport Road above I-12 east to River Road and Bennett Road as well as a portion of Old Covington Highway out to Sonthemier Road. The boundaries run north to the Industrial Park Drive and Vinyard Road area, as well as taking in residents in Vinyard Trace subdivision, who requested to be included in the road lighting district.

Vial said the election was called a few months early to bring in the Vinyard Trace residents as well as to decrease that maximum millage rate that was set back when the tax was enacted in 2001. Historically, the district has never charged the full maximum rate, Vial said, and he expects the tax to continue to charge residents about 5 mills per year.

The tax remains Homestead Exempt for the first $75,000 of property value, Vial said. The cost to the average homeowner is less than $20 per year.

Early voting will be available Saturday, April 20, and again Monday, April 22-Saturday, April 27, from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. each day at the Registrar of Voters’ Office. For more information on the May 4 general election, go to https://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/GetElectionInformation/Pages/default.aspx.