Beginning Saturday, voters in the Livingston Parish town of Springfield will decide if they want to rededicate sales tax revenue to the town's waterworks to help with future maintenance and improvements.
Springfield Mayor Thomas "Tommy" Abels said this week the town already has a dedicated sales tax for its sewer system, so this is a chance for voters to decide if they want the same for the waterworks.
Currently, he said, the waterworks funds itself through customer payments. The tax would go toward "acquiring, constructing, extending, improving, (and) maintaining" the town's waterworks.
Springfield has only one water well that currently has some issues with manganese, Abels said, although that is an issue that would require a larger funding source. Instead of relying on a potential tax the town is applying for a grant that would equip the well with a filter system.
Manganese is an essential element present in many foods, but too much or too little can cause health problems, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The town received a brand-new, $1.7 million water system in 2018. The system, which included a new pump, lines and water tank, was funded by grants from the state. It serves a few hundred customers.
A dedicated tax would provide for "little improvements," Abels explained, as well as ongoing maintenance for upkeep and problems that may arise.
"We’re doing pretty good with [the town's waterworks]," he said. "We just need to improve some instruments and...
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