Calcasieu Parish voters need to know what’s on the ballot before stepping inside the booth on Saturday. It could make a quick, easy and important process go even smoother. Two tax renewals will be decided parishwide. Others, will be decided by only the voters in a particular area.

The parishwide Criminal Justice Property Tax renews the 3.16 mill tax for the next ten years for operating, maintaining and improving the services of the District Attorney’s Office and the 14th Judicial District Court offices. The tax, originally approved in 1985.

The approximate cost to the residential property owner with a property valued at $75,000 or less is 0. (This tax is subject to homestead exemption.) Annually, the approximate cost for a residential property owner with a $100,000 property is $7.90; $150,000, $23.70; $200,000, $39.50; and $250,000, $55.30.

The parishwide Mosquito Renewal Tax renews the 2.41 mill parishwide property tax for ten years to continue a comprehensive pest management strategy that includes mosquito surveillance, disease surveillance, source reduction, pest control, insecticide resistance monitoring and public education.

According to the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Fact Sheet (calcasieu.gov/renewals), recent accomplishments of this department include an upgraded aerial fleet with two KingAir 90 Beechcraft, an upgraded truck fleet with latest technology, addition of a classroom for in-house training and school visits, the active pursuit of drone aircraft for control efforts on recreational fields, special events and inaccessible habitats, mosquito population and mosquito-borne disease surveillance activities, utilizing the latest traps and technology and salaries for 16 full-time, 30 parttime and six contract employees.  This tax was originally approved in 1975.

This estimated cost for a residential property owner with a property valued at $75,000 or less is 0. (This tax is subject to homestead exemption.) For a property valued at $100,000, the estimated cost is $6.02 per year; $150,000, $18.07; $200,000, 30.12; and $250,000, $42.17.

Only voters outside incorporated areas will vote on the The Calcasieu Parish Road & Bridge Sales Tax (aales, not property tax) that originated in 1984. A vote for this tax will renew it for 20 years. The tax is expected to bring in approximately $25. 8 million in 2024. The tax funds park maintenance and improvements including overlays, salaries and other expenses of the Parish Public Works crews, road and ditch maintenance, vegetation/weed control, bridge maintenance and replacement, signs and striping.

Voters in the Airport District – that is incorporated Lake Charles, a small part of Ward 4 (industrial) and all of Ward 3 – will be called upon to renew a Lake Charles Regional Airport Tax originally approved in 1955. It will fund the Airport Fire Department, security contracted through the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, maintenance of runways and taxiways, maintenance of air traffic control tower, maintenance of passenger terminal, hangars and other buildings, groundskeeping of 1,800 acres and utilities. The approximate cost to the residential property owners in this district will be 0 for property valued at $75,000 or less; $1.57 per year for property valued at $100,000; $150,000, $4.73; $200,000, $7.88 and $250,000, $11.02.

Voters of District No. Five, Wards Three and Eight will decide on a renewal of the 6.39 mill special tax, approved in 2004, first levied in 2005 and renewed in 2014. This ten-year tax funds the operation, maintenance and improvements. Water is used for consumption, commercial, industrial and fire protection. The district is supported by a combination of user fees and maintenance tax revenue. The annual cost based on property value is: 0 for $75,000 or below; $15.98 for $100,000; $47.93, $150,000; $79.88, $200,000 and $111.83, $250,000.