Voting was open at North Lewis Elementary Saturday.

A tax renewal for the parks and recreation system was approved by New Iberia voters Saturday night. 

The 2.96 mills tax renewal passed with 76 percent, or 855 voters, voting in the affirmative and 24 percent, or 276 voting in the negative. A total of 1,131 New Iberia voters showed up to the ballots in total, marking an unofficial turnout of 5.9 percent.

The proposition was the only ballot item in Saturday’s local election. Passage of the tax effectively renewed a 2.96 millage for a period of 10 years. The tax is expected to generate an estimated $615,000 annually and is solely dedicated to maintaining and operating public parks and recreational facilities within the city of New Iberia. 

Mayor Freddie DeCourt said Saturday that he was grateful for those who voted for the tax renewal so that the city’s parks system could continue its work.

“We’re very happy with the outcome,” DeCourt said. “We’ll keep providing those services and enhancing the parks system anyway we can.”

The tax was put on the April ballot one year early, with city officials saying that the date fit in with their financial strategy and covering their bases in the event that the proposition failed. 

Other communities having tax renewals put up for vote and then failing were on the minds of New Iberia officials like Mayor Freddie DeCourt, and with the tax money going to improving recreational centers at West End Park and New Iberia City Park the failure of the renewal would effectively put a halt to several projects under development by the administration. 

The parks system is also in the process of putting on the programs that were regularly in effect before COVID-19, which include yoga programs, sports programs for youth and several other community activities for interested residents.