VIDALIA &8212; Clerk of Courts Clyde Ray Webber said he doesn&8217;t expect to be drowning in votes come Saturday night.

But the outcome of the election is crucial to the residents on 50-plus parish roads and to two local organizations with dwindling budgets.

The parish Police Jury has been talking about a proposed road sales tax for years and voted this summer to put it on the ballot.

&8220;I&8217;d be surprised if we got 10 percent,&8221; Webber said. &8220;This is not going to be voted on within the cities, and there has to be a candidate involved before we get a good turnout.&8221;

Webber said sales tax elections typically do draw more voters than property tax elections, but neither gets a big turnout.

If passed, the tax would add 1.5 cents to an existing 7.25-cent sales tax in parish business. Businesses inside the Ferriday and Vidalia city limits would not be affected.

Jurors have estimated the tax would bring in $950,000 a year, and the majority would go to roadwork. Five percent would be split between the Council on Aging and the Concordia Parish LSU Ag Extension Center.

The jury would apply for a 20-year bond for $11 million to immediately begin construction on 82 parish roads.

Jury Secretary Russell Wagoner said they would start the bidding process in January and begin actual roadwork in the spring.

&8220;We are really excited about getting this thing passed and getting our roads done,&8221; he said. &8220;We&8217;ve heard quite a bit of support for it.&8221;

The bond would allow the 82 priority roads to be completed within two years.

Wagoner said jurors are personally contacting many residents in their districts to explain the tax and why it&8217;s needed.

Jurors attended a Clayton Town Hall meeting this month to present their case, and left with the endorsement of the board.

Representatives from the Council on Aging and the Ag Center are also heavily pushing the tax.

&8220;It&8217;d definitely help us out,&8221; County Agent Glen Daniels said. &8220;We are really behind the southern average as far as (parish) support. We suffer so much in state budget cuts, and in the aftermath of the hurricane we are going to suffer again.&8221;

The Ag Center would use the tax money to pay salaries of four agents, one full-time secretary and one part-time secretary. The center works with farmers of all types of products including cotton, pecans and crawfish; works in area schools and hospitals and runs the 4H Club.

Daniels estimated the tax would bring in $3,500 a year to the center.

At the Council on Aging, any money would help, Executive Director Dorothy McDonald said.

&8220;We have some federal funds and state funds,&8221; she said. &8220;And United Way, but I don&8217;t know what&8217;s going to be left this year.&8221;

The Council provides meals and transportation for senior citizens in the area. Around 170 eat Council meals every day.

The office has 17 paid employees and a budget around $300,000.