There were 152 votes cast to merge the Robeline-Marthaville Water System with Sabine Parish Water District #1 (127 votes were in favor of the merger). The R-MV Water System Board hired an attorney to represent the water system entity during the merger. Attorney Tony Tillman represents other water systems and has a track record of dealing with mergers and the issues involved. The Natchitoches Parish Council and the Sabine Parish Police Jury will have to officially approve the merger. Paperwork should be finished by the end of Aug. and everything should be finalized by the end of the year. Work should start around the beginning of October. The system will de dissolved as a non profit entity and will become part of a governmental agency. An indebtedness audit was conducted through the Sane Parish Water District #1 and it came out clean.

NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS: As of July 31, delinquent bills that aren’t paid off by Aug. 24 will be subject to the water being turned off. The water system will no longer send out delinquent notices.

In financial news, the water system has tried to pay off as much of its debt as possible. The accounts payable has been brought to $49,520 as of July, from $82,922 in February.