Early voting for the March 29 election in Iberia Parish ended Saturday with almost 3,000 showing up to the Iberia Registrar of Voters Office or voting by absentee ballot. 

The relatively small showing is expected for the spring election, due to the fact that no local or state races are on the ballot. During the presidential election last year, for instance, Iberia Parish saw about 12,000 people showing up to early vote. 

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some very important issues on the ballot. Both the New Iberia Fire Department and Iberia Fire District No. 1 are asking the public for additional taxes to supplement the fire departments, which are struggling to maintain themselves with current tax revenues alone. 

The NIFD, which will only be voted on by local residents living within the city limits of New Iberia, is offering a proposition for a quarter-cent sales tax to supplement personnel salary. Fire District No. 1 is asking for a 3.50 mills property tax that will go toward improving and maintaining the equipment and buildings the department is charged over. 

A millage renewal for the Iberia Parish Library is also on the ballot which will drastically change the library system no matter the result. After the 4.50 mills renewal failed to pass last year, the library system is once again asking voters to keep its main source of revenue. 

Several state propositions are also on the ballot for the election, most notably CA 2 which will revise the Louisiana Constitution to lower the maximum rate of income tax, increase income tax deductions for citizens over 65, provide for a government growth limit, modify operation of certain constitutional funds, provide for property tax exemptions retaining the homestead exemption and exemption for religious organizations, provide for a permanent teacher salary increase by requiring a surplus payment to teacher retirement debt and make other modifications. 

By the end of early voting, 1,755 local residents showed up to cast a vote for the election, and another 962 voted by absentee ballot.