Abita Springs residents will vote Saturday on whether to allow the town to rededicate 3 mills of property tax to pay for street lighting and park improvements and maintenance.

In the past the town has asked the residents to use the extra mills not needed to pay off existing bonds to pay for street improvements. However, this year, Fitzmorris said he would like to use sales tax revenue to pay for streets and to use the property tax revenue to pay for other things.

The town is requesting to bond out $646,000 to pay for street repairs. That money, Fitzmorris said would be paid back with sales tax revenue. With street work being taken care of through another source, Fitzmorris said, he would like to use the extra property tax money to pay for items that are not funded through the town’s regular budget.

“My intention was to find revenue for streets and to redirect this money to the things that are always on the bottom of the totem pole,” Fitzmorris said when he proposed the rededication.

The town’s Board of Aldermen would like to dedicate 2 mills toward improvement and maintenance at the park and trailhead.

Fitzmorris said a lot of people and businesses have donated time and money to these projects, which are used heavily by the residents and visitors, and he feels the town needs to dedicate funds to ensure it is maintained properly.

According to the proposition that will appear on Saturday’s ballot, the money generated from this tax would go towards acquiring, constructing, improving, maintaining, operating and supporting parks and playgrounds owned or operated by the town. The money could also be used to buy new equipment and for funding programs at the park and trailhead.

The board is also asking to dedicate 1 mil to street lighting.

Fitzmorris said currently the town is paying $2,000 a month to pay for streetlights and that bill continues to grow.

Fitzmorris said the town does not pay for lights at individual homes but does pay for streetlights at corners and in the center of town.

“These are not new millages,” Fitzmorris stressed, “theses are old millages being used for different purposes.”