Voting for taxes is not a hot topic in St. Tammany Parish, but the president of Drainage District 4, right outside of Slidell’s city limits, stressed that the drainage tax on November’s ballot is not new.
“It is a renewal of $253,” Drainage District #4 President Tim Asher said.
If passed, the district will collect $300,000 per year over a five-year term to maintain 5-and-a-half miles of levee, a pumping station, two retention ponds and the outfall of the canal.
“It’s important because it protects them from flooding. Like, during Katrina, we had one crutch, so to speak, and our levee system, which was breached, caused some flooding. “
Air Force veteran Royce Campbell, who lives in one of the five subdivisions directly impacted in District 4, remembers this all too well.
“Well, with Katrina we had 6 feet of water,” Campbell said. “Me and my neighbor down there didn’t evacuate, but luckily he had a boat, and we went out to the levee.”
Since then, Asher told WDSU the system has had repairs with the help of the parish. The tax currently collected is used strictly to maintain and operate the system. He said last year, the district used $180,000 to clean out the two retention ponds.
“They removed over a thousand tons, metric tons of trash, debris and grass, which drastically improved our retention pond capacity in order for us to get more to drain and get it out of the neighborhood so we can pump it and get it away from the houses.” Asher said. “So we spend everything they give us in a responsible manner in order to protect our homeowners.”
Nearly 1,500 homeowners in Foxhollow, SpringHill, New Kingspoint, Pinehurst and Oak Plain will all have to decide if renewing this tax is worth it.
WDSU spoke with several residents Thursday, and while only one man said he isn’t sure how he’s going to vote, many of them said they are in favor of the renewal.
“I’ve read on that tax, and from my opinion, considering that there’s no increase, but tax remains the same, I say, why not maintain it because it’s only going to benefit us,” one resident said.
Antonio Garrison lives in the Foxhollow neighborhood. He said he hasn’t had any flooding issues since he moved into his home in 2020.
“I think they’re doing a very good job to the point where they even come behind levels and trim the trees down,” Garrison said.
Asher told WDSU he believes the tax renewal will do well during November’s election, but if it does not pass, he will put it back on the ballot next year.
“The parcel fee doesn’t actually expire till the end of ’27, so what we’d like to do is get it a year ahead,” Asher said.
READ MORE:Drainage tax up for renewal for some St. Tammany residents for November’s election
