VIDALIA, La. &045; Voters will decide the future of Concordia Parish roads today when they decide whether a 1.5-cent sales tax increase will go into effect.

Police jury President Melvin Ferrington said Friday he felt confident the tax would be passed.

&8221;I feel good about the tax,&8220; Ferrington said. &8221;Pretty well everyone I’ve talked to is supporting it. I know we have put a good plan together.&8220;

Several parish officials, including Clerk of Courts Clyde Ray Webber

and Registrar Golda Ensminger, said earlier this week a low turnout was likely. Only 56 ballots &045;&160;51 in person, five by mail &045;&160;were cast in absentee voting.

Ferrington said he would be surprised if turnout was as high as 20 percent.

The sales tax increase will only affect purchases made in the parish outside Vidalia and Ferriday. Only voters living outside those cities will vote in today’s election.

The bulk of the approximately $950,000 in revenue the tax would bring in annually would go towards resurfacing about 60 miles of the parish’s 225 miles of hard surface and gravel roads.

Parish engineer Bryant Hammett, who has worked with the jury to draw up the road plan, said the construction will take place over two years, with all 82 roads completed by the end of 2007.

The parish will use $100,000 annually of the tax revenue on road maintenance, with approximately $650,000 of the annual revenue going to purchase bonds for the construction projects.

All but 5 percent of the tax money will go to roads, with the remainder split between the Council on Aging and the LSU Ag Extension Center. Council on Aging director Dorothy McDonald and County Agent Glen Daniels have both expressed their support for the tax. The towns of Ridgecrest and Clayton will receive approximately 7 and 8 percent each of the tax revenues for use on their roads and municipal services.

At their own expense, jurors have sent letters to many voters and put signs up throughout the parish encouraging support of the tax. It would be illegal to use public funds to support a tax proposal, so jurors put their own money forward for the cause.

&8221;If people want better roads, then vote for it,&8220; Ferrington said. &8221;If they want things to keep getting worse, vote against it.&8220;