Bastrop Mayor Clarence Hawkins said he is counting on voters to renew a pair of tax propositions Saturday that will generate $20 million in revenue over the next 10 years.

“If we can’t renew these two sales taxes, we’re going to lose 10 percent of our budget.”
Hawkins said if the propositions are not approved, the city stands to lose 40 percent of its sales-tax revenue.

In turn, municipal jobs would be lost and utility costs would remain constant, making payroll the only available budgetary item to trim.

Both propositions would continue to levy half-cent sales taxes for the next 10 years, one starting Aug. 1, 2009, and the other beginning June 1, 2010. The sales-tax rate in Morehouse Parish is 6 percent, according to the Morehouse Parish Sales & Use Tax Commission.

State lawmakers this session eliminated July elections, reserved for taxes and propositions, so the July 19 election will be the last of its kind, Hawkins said.

Early voting for this election ends Saturday. Mail ballots may still be requested from the registrar of voters until Tuesday, and mail ballots must be received by July 18.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

As of Wednesday night, nine incumbent District 4 judges qualified on the first day to do so: Carl Sharp, Division G; Benjamin Jones, Division H; Alvin R. Sharp, Division I; Scott Leehy, Division A; Sharon Ingram Marchman, Division B; John Wilson Rambo, Division C; Stephens Winters, Division D; Marcus Clark, Division E; and Wendell Manning, Division F.

Divisions J and K are new divisions, and Robert C. Johnson and Danny Ellender qualified for those seats.

John Larry Lolly has qualified to run as judge for the Lousiana Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit, 1st District.

In other races, Earl Ross Downs Jr. and Phillip Murray Lester are running for city judge, and James H. Boyd, Lisa Chafford, and Scott Floyd are running for city marshal.

Marc Vereen is also running for city marshal, but had not qualified Wednesday night.
Anderson W. Barham qualified to run for mayor of Oak Ridge, and Eugene H. Allen qualified to run for alderman.

Two people qualified to run for justice of the peace: Robert P. Deblieux, Ward 1, and Zelia Z. Wilson, Ward 9.

Two others qualified to run for constable: Tony Lovell Johnson, Ward 2, and Donna J. Atkins, Ward 9.

Candidates also started signing up Wednesday to run in the fall elections. The first party primary is Sept. 6 for the congressional races, with a primary runoff Oct. 4.

For non-congressional races, the open primary is Oct. 4.

The general election for all races is Nov. 4.

In the 5th Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Rodney Alexander has qualified.