Darrel LeJeune / The Basile Weekly
The Board of Commissioners of the Acadia-Evangeline Fire Protection District is calling for a tax renewal that dates back 50 years from when the fire protection district was created.
The special election renewal will be held Saturday with all voters residing in the 80- square-mile district eligible to cast ballots.
The Acadia-Evangeline Fire District encompasses not only the town of Basile, but the rural Acadia Parish area of Tepetate and the rural Evangeline Parish Duralde/Tiger Point/Tyrone areas surrounding the town to the north and east. There is one fire station in town, located on Railroad Avenue next to the Town Hall, one station in Tepetate and two stations in the Duralde area. The Tepetate area station is on Redlich Road. The Duralde area stations are located on George Soileau Road and on the Old Basile Highway.
In Tepetate (Acadia Parish) the southern boundary line of the district is L K Guillory Road. The east boundary line is Bayou Des Cannes and the west boundary line is Bayou Nezpique.
In the Duralde area (Evangeline Parish) the north boundary line is a projected line from the bend in France Road westward to Bayou Nezpique. The east boundary line is France Rd. The west boundary line is Bayou Nezpique.
The upcoming election proposition for millage renewal states the following:
“Shall Acadia-Evangeline Fire Protection District of the Parishes of Acadia and Evangeline, State of Louisiana (the “District”), be authorized to levy a one and three hundredths (1.03) mills tax on all the property subject to taxation in the District (an estimated $58,500 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2022 and ending with the year 2031, for the purpose of constructing, maintaining and operating the District’s fire protection facilities, including paying the cost of obtaining water for fire protection purposes?”
The special election will be held at the polling places for the following precincts, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters in Evangeline Parish specifically include Ward 2, precincts 2020, 2030, and 2040 and parts of precinct 2010. The poll will be located at the J.C. Speyrer Center. Precinct 3070 of Ward 3 votes at the L D Verrette Building on the Oberlin Road.
In Acadia Parish, voters are eligible in Ward 7, precinct 02 and part of Ward 4, precinct 01. They will cast votes at the Tepetate Fire Station.
This is one of two millage taxes that produce the funds necessary to operate the fire district. The other is a 4.10 mill tax that will come up for renewal in another five years.