VIDALIA — The Concordia Parish Police Jury rolled forward increased property tax rates Monday, but President Melvin Ferrington said the taxpayers wouldn’t see a significance difference in the long run.

The unanimous vote means taxpayers will shell out $3,981.72 in additional property taxes. The adjustments to the property tax rates are done every four years when the parish properties are reassessed.

Because the parish’s assessed value is up this year, Ferrington said the need to roll the mills forward was necessary.

“It is an increase, but its such a slight increase that it won’t be that noticeable to the taxpayer,” Ferrington said. “The amount each individual taxpayer will see is very small.”

The revenue gained from the mills covers various facets of the governing body’s operations, including drainage works buildings, the library system and the health unit. The tax notices that will go out later this year will bring in approximately $2.9 million.

The tax for the library system was rolled forward 0.01 mills, increasing to 8.500 mills from the previous 8.490 mills.

The tax for drainage works buildings increased 0.01 mills, increasing to 10 mills from the previous 9.990 mills.

The tax for council on aging increased 0.01 mills, increasing to 4 mills from the previous 3.990 mills.

The police jury will also have a public hearing Monday for a proposed two-mill tax increase to fund future maintenance of the drainage project and a drainage project for Brushy Bayou.

Ferrington said the tax increase could be the solution to getting the funding for Black River Lake released to Concordia Parish.

Ferrington said the police jury would not support a tax increase without input from the public.

“None of us are in favor of any kind of tax at all,” Ferrington said. “But if it’s something that will improve our drainage system and help us get those funds, then we have to consider it.”

The Black River Lake Commission, set up several years ago to help manage the Black River drainage area was allocated $1 million in priority 1 funding and $2.5 million in priority 5 funding for drainage structure installation, studies, permits and construction.

The funding, however, will not be released until an organization agrees to provide upkeep and maintenance after construction.

If approved by the police jury, the Concordia tax increase would be put on the ballot for November, but the tax increase initiative has to be sent to the Secretary of State’s office prior to ballots being printed.

In other news from the meeting:

 With deaths related to the West Nile virus becoming more common in Louisiana, juror Randy Temple said it was time to dust off the parish’s mosquito spraying machine and put it back into action.

“I’d like to see us get back into the program, even if it’s just through September,” Temple said. “If we save one life, it will be worth it, and we need to show the public we have their safety in mind.”

Ferrington and Juror Jimmy Jernigan both said they agreed with the need to restart the program, but also cited funding issues.

“We need to see how much the chemicals cost because it gets to be a pretty expensive thing to do,” Ferrington said. “I’m not opposed to it, we just need to find the funds.

Jernigan also said he wasn’t against the program, but did want to remind Temple that the residents had a chance to vote on implementing a full-service spraying program several years ago and voted against it.

Ferrington advised board secretary Hazel Dickson to look into the necessary steps to getting an employee certified by the state to spray and asked director of public works Jackie Pugh to see if the parish’s spraying rig was still in working condition.

State officials confirmed Friday four more West Nile virus deaths, bringing the total to six in Louisiana.

 The board approved a resolution to submit an application requesting $90,000 in grant money through the State of Louisiana Division of Administration’s Local Government Assistance Program.

Funds are allocated each year for towns, cities and parishes in Louisiana and each parish can apply for up to $100,000 this year, Ferrington said.

“We need a track hoe and a little Bobcat type machine and we can get both of those pieces of equipment for $90,000,” Ferrington said. “We may not get the whole $90,000, we may not even get $50,000, but we can still apply.”

The deadline to submit an application for the grant funding is Sept. 14.