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Officials upset after Gonzales sales tax vote fails

6 years 5 months 1 day ago Monday, October 16 2017 Oct 16, 2017 October 16, 2017 7:51 PM October 16, 2017 in News
Source: WBRZ

GONZALES - The new chief administrative officer for the city of Gonzales not happy with Saturday's election.

"I was pretty disappointed on behalf of the citizens here in Gonzales," Scot Byrd.

A half-cent sales tax goes down to defeat. The results posted on the front door of Gonzales City Hall for all to see. A narrow loss by only 6 percentage points.

"I think that right now we are in an anti-tax climate and I think despite that, the tax came very close to passing," Byrd said.

The tax would have raised more than $3 million annually. Money that would be used to repair the city's flood-damaged civic center, build new baseball fields, a community center and improve police and fire protection.

City officials also say that low voter turn out could be another reason why the tax measure failed. A little more than a thousand people showed up at the poles on Saturday, and the sales tax was defeated by only 68 votes.

Brenda Reeves usually works the polls, but was not called on Saturday, and says she forgot to vote.

"I really didn't know what they were voting on to be honest. I would just see the signs on the street and follow the names. But normally I would have worked the polls, I would have voted."

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