After much discussion during a public hearing on the issue, the Evangeline Parish Police Jury voted Monday to set the adjusted millage rates and to roll forward to millage rates not exceeding the maximum authorized rates.
During the public hearing, the jury heard from Basile resident Rebecca Berzas who stated she opposes the measure “because of the way it is worded ‘without voter approval.’”
Berzas asked the jury, “Is there anyway we can amend it to where you can take out ‘without further voter approval’ to where the voters have to approve additional taxes or the voters have to approve the increased millage rates?”
Juror Bryan Vidrine told Berzas he did a figure of the increased millages on a $150,000 home in Ward 1. “When you take out the $75,000 that you’re exempt from paying taxes on,” Vidrine said, “it was a $1.62 increase for the year.”
Berzas stated she “would appreciate the amendment ‘without further voter approval’” and said she noticed Acadia Parish was a little bit lower when it came to millage rates.
“I know in Basile there are plenty of people who are moving into Acadia Parish on the other side of Basile just for the simple fact of their millage is less.”
Vidrine then expressed Evangeline Parish has some of the lowest millage rates in the state to which Berzas reiterated, “There are a lot of parents around my age who have been moving into Acadia Parish, which is on the other side of Basile, just because of property taxes.”
She continued, “So, I was proposing if we could make an amendment to this motion to remove ‘without further voter approval.’”
“The wording of the advertisement and the whole wording of the rolling forward of the millages is specifically sent to us from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor,” replied Secretary-Treasurer Donald Bergeron. “We have to word it that way.”
Bergeron continued, “As far as ‘without further voter approval,’ the voters already did approve this millage we’re rolling forward to, but, because of reassessment of property values, the millages may have dropped in past years. All we’re doing here is rolling it forward to the millage that was voted on and approved by the voters.”
Vidrine made the argument that the increase would amount to pennies. But, Berzas replied, “I know we’re talking pennies, but, eventually, those pennies do add up. I don’t want to lose any more friends from our parish to move to another parish just because of millage rates.”
The millage rate increase is designed to bring in approximately an additional $58,000 a year for the parish and would mainly help fund services such as the library, elderly services, and the Lone Pine Fire Department.
Juror Eric Soileau said on the issue, “For me, it would be a no brainer because it helps a lot of organizations and entities who provide services, but I also have my own constituents who ask me about this.”
“The thing that is not liked is ‘without further voter approval,’” he continued. “I get it because this time it is very minute, but next time it might not be. Being that it’s small, I don’t think the issue is the amount of taxes. I think the issue is the verbiage that us guys can increase it.”
Once the regular meeting commenced, Juror Sidney Fontenot had it clarified that the millages would be rolled forward to an amount the voters had already approved in a prior election.
The jury voted 8-1 to approve the measure with Soileau voting against.
July 5, 2026
