Early voting for March 30 election starts Saturday: New Orleans-area ballots

By Greg LaRose

Source: NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

March 15, 2019

There are relatively few items on ballots in the New Orleans area for the March 30 election, as statewide races and several legislative seats won’t be decided until this fall. But for those who can’t make it to the polls in two weeks, the early voting period begins Saturday and lasts through March 23 (excluding Sunday, March 17).

Here’s a parish-by-parish overview of what voters will consider

Jefferson

Two candidates are competing for the 24th Judicial District Division E judgeship. Republican Frank Brindisi and Democrat Christy Howley, both from Gretna, want to complete the remainder of the term Judge John Molaison Jr. vacated when he was elected to the state’s Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal last year.

Gretna voters, except those in the annexed portion of the city, are being asked to renew a 4-mill property tax for 10 years dedicated to fire protection. The tax is expected to raise more than $616,000 annually, starting in 2021.

Orleans

Services for elderly residents would be the beneficiaries of a new tax being put before New Orleans voters. A proposed 2-mill property tax collected for five years would generate $6.6 million annually. Based on the average $359,000 selling price of a home in the city, the tax would cost a homeowner $56.80 more in property taxes per year. The owner of a homestead-exempt property valued at $200,000 would be billed $25 more each year.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell, through her political action committee, has come out against the tax. She argues the proposal lacks accountability, one of the points the watchdog Bureau of Governmental Research made in its recommendation to reject the tax.

Senior advocates argue the money is needed to boost programs such as Meals on Wheels, for which there is an extensive waiting list. Additional services could be launched with the dedicated source of money, they have said.

If approved, the tax would go into effect in 2020.

St. Bernard

Two parishwide tax 10-year renewals for law enforcement are being put before St. Bernard voters. One is a 0.5 percent sales tax, and the other is a 5-mill property tax. The sales tax will raise nearly $4.14 million in annual revenue starting in 2023, and the property tax would add almost $1.56 million a year starting in 2021.

Also in St. Bernard, a School Board race in District 6 features Democrat Carolon Craft and Republican Carly Jackson.

In Ward C, Republicans Beau Bowman and Tina Micheu square off for a justice of the peace seat.

St. Tammany

Covington voters are choosing a new mayor to replace Mike Cooper, who is term-limited. Three positions on the seven-person City Council are also being decided, an at-large post and the District A and E seats.

Nancy Prevost Brown, a Republican, and Will Talley, no party, are running for village mayor in Sun, where four candidates are competing for three seats on its Board of Aldermen.

Fire protection fees are proposed in the Lacombe and Bush areas, and 3-mill tax proposition for recreation is also before voters in the Bush area.

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