VIDALIA — Concordia Parish residents will go to the polls today to determine if a small increase in taxes is worth the potential for better drainage in their area, while Catahoula Parish voters will decide if their sheriff’s office receives support from a new sales tax.

Local precincts will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In Concordia Parish, a one-mill drainage tax to be levied in perpetuity is on the ballot. The tax, which is expected to generate $133,700 annually, will be designated to operate and maintain drainage structures on Black River Lake and Brushy Bayou.

For taxpayers whose property is valued at $75,000 or less, passing the tax won’t mean an increase in what they owe, and for someone whose property is valued at $100,000, the millage would come to a $2.50 annual increase in their tax burden.

Homeowners whose property is valued at $200,000 would see an increase of approximately $12.50 on their tax bill.

On agricultural land, a 100-acre tract would see a tax increase of between $1.83 and $3.37 a year. The increase in tax burden on a 100-acre tract of timberland would be between $0.75 and $3.87.

Voters in the Monterey area will also decide if a $50-per-parcel fee to support the Monterey fire district will be levied for 10 years.

In Ferriday, voters in District B will close out the runoff between incumbent Alderman Elijah “Stepper” Banks and challenger “Chris” Chatman.

Those in Concordia Parish School Board district 4B will also choose a representative between Jeffery Goodman and Angela Hayes. The election will fill the unexpired term of Daryl Price, who resigned to become parish coroner. Hayes has filled the seat as an interim since Price’s resignation.

In Catahoula Parish, on the ballot is a 1-percent sales tax that that will be used to support the operations of the Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office.

While the Catahoula law enforcement agency receives property tax revenue, officials there have said that revenue has steadily declined in recent years.

The last time the CPSO received a tax increase was in 1997.