Supporters of a 1-cent sales tax proposal for salary improvements in the Washington Parish schools held their collective breath Saturday night as votes were tallied. But when the final votes had been counted, there was a sigh of relief as the tax proposal was approved by a relatively strong 55% to 45% margin.
The 1-cent tax will be used to provide raises for all Washington Parish School System employees except for the superintendent of schools. School Board members will not receive raises from the tax.
Only 16.3% of parish voters cast ballots in the election for the 1-cent school tax proposal.
Meanwhile, a controversial millage proposal in Fire Protection District #1 failed overwhelmingly. It was defeated by a 71% to 29% margin.
In the Town of Franklinton, 5 aldermen were elected. Three of them are incumbents: TJ Butler Jr., Patrice Crain, and Seth Descant. They will be joined by Randy Reed and Lee Dillon.
Dillon and Descant are Republicans and Butler, Crain, and Reed are Democrats. For the past four years Republicans have held a majority on the Board of Aldermen. Now, for at least the next four years, the majority will be held by Democrats.
Dillon led all candidates with 476 votes, Reed had 472, Descant tallied 468, Butler had 455, and Crain received 450 votes.
Narrowly losing was Steve McCune, who trailed Patrice Crain by only 5 votes --- 450 to 445.
In addition to McCune, the other unsuccessful candidates were Amanda Dillon, 439 votes; Richard Magee, 434 votes; Blake Orman, 332 votes; and Brynnan Cooper, 206 votes.
37% of registered Franklinton voters cast ballots in the alderman election. That is normally a tremendously low turnout but it was the highest turnout in the entire parish in a very low turnout election.
Initially following the vote totals coming in Saturday night there was widespread speculation that a runoff would be required. But according to Washington Parish Registrar of Voters Randy Strickland, no runoff will be needed and the top five candidates are elected, pending the opening and inspection of voting machines, which in most cases is simply a formality.
Darwin Sharp was earlier elected Franklinton mayor. He and the successful 5 aldermen candidates will be sworn into office early in January. Sharp narrowly defeated incumbent Mayor Greg Route in the November 5 election.
The alderman election was originally scheduled to be held at the same time as the mayoral election -- November 5. But following the death of candidate Frankie Crosby, state law required that filing for aldermen be re-opened and the election be postponed. It was rescheduled for December 7. By a twist of fate, also on December 7 a Franklinton man was arrested and charged with murder in connection with the overdose that killed Crosby on October 6, according to authorities.
