Council certifies Oct. 11 special-election results, reports 322-110 vote to renew local tax

Bogalusa City Council on Oct. 21 adopted a resolution canvassing the official returns of a special election held Oct. 11 that renews a local special tax.

The clerk reported the official totals, saying, "the canvas of official results on file with the Washington Parish clerk of court showed a total of 322 votes cast in favor of the proposition and a total of 110 votes against the proposition," and declared that a majority of qualified electors had passed the measure. The presenter stated the reported turnout was about 7 percent.

Residents in the public-comment period criticized the low turnout. One resident, speaking from the audience, said the result showed voters ‘‘allow approximately 322 people to decide how many taxes you’re going to pay for the next 10 years’’ and urged greater public participation and use of public resources to understand ballot questions.

Council members moved to amend the agenda to consider the canvass and then voted to adopt the canvass resolution. The council reiterated that, should the city receive related grant or tax proceeds in the future, any spending would return to the council for appropriation.

Why it matters: the council’s formal declaration makes the election result official and clears the way for the city to implement the renewed tax if other procedural steps are met. Several residents told the council that the low participation rate undercuts public legitimacy and urged efforts to increase voter education and turnout ahead of future elections.

The council did not detail plans at the meeting to increase turnout; members encouraged residents to use local resources such as the public library to review ballot materials. The clerk said the canvass documents are on file with the Washington Parish clerk of court and the finalized resolution will be available as part of the council packet.