[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6513011,"mediaKeyId","5081678-efc0d09a0b9d1c62f1f40b53b2ee00fa","parentId",5081678,"title","Council removes senior and disability providers from millage rollback, advances drainage change for July vote","audioSeconds",1347,"startMs",1811000,"endMs",3158000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5081678-efc0d09a0b9d1c62f1f40b53b2ee00fa&start=1811&end=3158","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5081678-efc0d09a0b9d1c62f1f40b53b2ee00fa/thumbnail_1811000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6513011/Louisiana/Council-removes-senior-and-disability-providers-from-millage-rollback-advances-drainage-change-for-July-vote","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6513011-ed2e301af79b6b1cf40bead87ecba48d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771040111&Signature=mq8WbKzpPrF7Sdn~6z8yrWQMfnb9-YzgMm8mgTsa~7oQN8pH0X08e3Lx~3FRH7Nccxul5RodUBeLok4Cvt9O84qIYomlAjqtZci9cLVuySlxCf~4KeCta6rie1ymXMkkcR4BKF5fCktg1E6PbaZggFgYOpCHExyNboKPGdZMhbBVb4Om6GjdQ3ZxVy8O93CzUJNjovNsa9gy2A-AfcioCIPnWum3KStRlZ5t~w1DdbykFJXGEr5VwD-o1v7DyeNyl5U3kVukSGlBhawOTNqIL20WwUagj1dnBD3ixAt8wldHFZGDA2lOBSSTtbxkSyv3Oh5JTIjwWFf~p9LOWnaMtg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana - St. Tammany Parish Public Administrator","date","2025-06-26T18:27:01.02Z","article","The St. Tammany Parish Council on Thursday amended an ordinance on property tax millages to remove two faith-based and nonprofit service providers from a proposed rollback and then introduced the ordinance as amended for further action in July.

The council voted to amend ordinance calendar 7885 AA to remove the St. Tammany Council on Aging (COAST) and Stark of Louisiana from a proposed decrease in millage, keeping those agencies’ millage at 1.69 mills; the amendment passed unanimously with one member absent. Later the council voted to introduce the ordinance as amended for formal consideration at its July meeting.

Why it matters: COAST and Stark provide services to older adults and people with developmental disabilities; both told the council cuts would force program reductions. The ordinance also includes a proposed reduction in the drainage millage from 1.56 to 1.46 mills, a change parish staff estimated would reduce drainage funding by about $300,000 a year.

Amy Kudell, with the St. Tammany Council on Aging, told the council that roughly 70% of COAST’s budget “depends directly on parish provided funds, either through the millage or our transportation contract.” She said the agency budgeted a reduction in millage funding to $2,400,000 for FY2026 and described program cuts the agency would implement if funding falls, including trimming about 23,000 meals, removing roughly 450 medical alert units, and reducing personal care and respite services by about 700 hours.

Mark Bayham, director at Stark of Louisiana, said his organization — which serves more than 500 individuals in the parish and employs more than 200 people — would need to pause a planned rate increase for staff and delay a capital expansion project if the rollback proceeded. “We have not increased our millage rate in 10 years,” Bayham said, adding that Stark has regular audits and a finance committee that reviews financials.

Council members debated whether to treat all the affected millages together or separately. Councilman Bender asked whether members would be voting for all changes as written; parish staff explained amendments could be made at the special meeting so COAST and Stark could be kept at last year’s 1.69 mills while the drainage rollback is handled separately on the July 10 agenda.

Parish finance staff told council members that lowering drainage from 1.56 to 1.46 mills would reduce drainage revenues by about $300,000 annually and that the drainage fund’s budgeted available fund balance for fiscal 2025 was about $3,000,000 if millage stayed at 1.56 (about $2,700,000 if reduced). A written figure from the engineering department cited a long‑range need for drainage projects through 2029 of $183,125,000 and a projected funding gap of roughly $113,000,000 assuming current plans.

After public comment and council discussion, Councilman Corbin moved to remove COAST and Stark from the rollback; the motion was seconded by Councilman Laughlin and approved unanimously with one member absent. The council then accepted a motion to introduce the ordinance as amended; that introduction carries the item forward to the July meeting for a formal vote.

What’s next: The council will consider the amended ordinance at its July meeting, where members will vote on the drainage rollback and any related millage adjustments. The council, parish staff and affected agencies said they expected to adjust budgets and services depending on the final millage decisions.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","St. Tammany Parish Special Council Meeting : June 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The St. Tammany Parish Council on Thursday amended an ordinance on property tax millages to remove two service providers from a proposed rollback and introduced the ordinance as amended for further consideration in July.","taxTitle","St. Tammany Parish Public Administrator, Boards & Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Louisiana","taxId",25594,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6513006,"Public opposition stalls TRAC resolution with DA involvement; council postpones vote to August",1568,3261000,4829000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5081678-efc0d09a0b9d1c62f1f40b53b2ee00fa&start=3261&end=4829","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5081678-efc0d09a0b9d1c62f1f40b53b2ee00fa/thumbnail_3261000.jpg","/articles/6513006/Louisiana/Public-opposition-stalls-TRAC-resolution-with-DA-involvement-council-postpones-vote-to-August","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6513006-8f3a66336af4b035758d3350b8605aba/orig.mp4?Expires=1771040111&Signature=A3c-4uZKfy0POKIHl~jmb2bWaeDlKi62yLSEtN3rIkPpjO1j9OAyJLus8PqJ33QDROU0LNwqc1mleCTR0YksYiTU13vEhtsPs2~cEcI7apaTzTo7e2LaKtZyqnAZ-SiXd73OBv4MOt8PynxWcvrdlakingsCJz1kCLx-0PhHRTN2cDwsM3S1sz~JOx0e9blVGqHpwLPK7zut-sQ3uHuV6IrA63ipZCUX6Nz34CGQ9tKha6yzECi7Dz7brDkXHIIZTMnRbciUHPjxkC3FrmIuFjLK-7QVuPipqQHNJGhcpVAU-GLr1NgOTFMA86LBhuT8A-OUBmm2YP5dyCRdHs63Pg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Tammany Parish Council on Thursday postponed consideration of a resolution that would create or amend a Transparency and Resource Accountability Committee (TRAC) to collaborate with the 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s office after extensive public comment and council discussion.

The resolution under consideration, council series CD-17138, would have established a collaboration to provide assistance or resources as needed to review budgets and operations of parish departments and agencies that receive parish funding. After members of the public and several taxing districts raised concerns about the district attorney’s role, the council voted to postpone the item until the August meeting. The postponement passed unanimously with two members absent.

Why it matters: The proposal touched multiple independent taxing bodies — including fire districts, mosquito abatement and recreation districts — and the inclusion of the district attorney’s office prompted repeated questions about scope, authority and potential conflicts of interest. Speakers called for an independent auditor or clearer boundaries instead of bringing a prosecuting office into routine budget oversight.

Several public speakers urged the council to remove the district attorney’s office from any oversight role or to narrow the committee’s authority. Jamie Segura, a resident who planned to oppose the change, said she had discussed the issue with legal counsel and withdrew her opposition after that conversation. Randy Hess, fire chief of St. Tammany Fire District 2 and vice president of the Fire Chiefs Association, said the chief concern was unclear boundaries: “My biggest problem is, what are the boundaries of TRAC?” he said, adding that districts already undergo budget hearings and state audits.

Jennifer Goins of Recreation District 12 said taxing bodies have boards and regular audits and questioned adding another local government office to review budgets. Dr. Kevin Cayuet, executive director of the St. Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement District, told the council the DA’s public statements about independent taxing districts suggested a predetermined outcome and urged the council to reject the modified resolution or instead create an independent inspector-general function.

Council staff presented an amended version of the resolution that changed the word “partnership” to “collaboration,” clarified that the district attorney “will not be a member of the TRAC committee for the purpose of making formal observations to the parish council,” and limited the DA’s office role to “providing resources on an as‑needed basis to gather information, conduct interviews, collect data, perform analysis, and document observations and/or findings for the council to review and consider.” Several speakers said they only saw that revised language at the meeting and asked for more time to review it.

Councilmember Seiden moved to postpone the item until the August meeting so stakeholders could review the amended language; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously with two members absent.

What’s next: The item is postponed to the August meeting. Stakeholders who addressed the council asked the council to either remove the district attorney’s office from the collaboration or further narrow the committee’s authority and membership before reconsideration.","The St. Tammany Parish Council postponed a resolution to create or amend a Transparency and Resource Accountability Committee (TRAC) that would collaborate with the 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s office, following public concerns about scope and conflict of interest.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":46,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6513002,"Council lifts moratorium on one Helenburg‑area lot to allow immediate building plans",102,3260000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5081678-efc0d09a0b9d1c62f1f40b53b2ee00fa&start=3158&end=3260","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5081678-efc0d09a0b9d1c62f1f40b53b2ee00fa/thumbnail_3158000.jpg","/articles/6513002/Louisiana/Council-lifts-moratorium-on-one-Helenburgarea-lot-to-allow-immediate-building-plans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6513002-d8a74070b2924e80254665343041a2f6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771040111&Signature=TJtgQu4mjz364Fw7ypspipvXUVzRrbzzwPzyxIq-QAsMSj5KVFc0VLz7grBkszj2Dejh81IiIHptfR6wT3HLWRw381ij-4nuHGuxAZYq01lvZj~CTP-xkoDTfXnbtXYndXGpDg~TUPc~StBqFm8I2gc2SkpS1fnGlhDzI9gzMJY1x4b1HssTK8qMJ9mBIzTSMgYo8z0MwC6OgTcffN0icLTy5kXFuGQlTRecEUlOByfxy2EX6g0vfDjgsz7tSsu9HS-tYPgxKAKW4ZP~DN1yhc1h4l-cDJN8GxmHRSMkf94nnomTZjgJLzLNQPsHBmd7dyalEPENTu67J7~xS7ERJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Tammany Parish Council voted unanimously, with one member absent, to partially lift a moratorium on development for a specific parcel in the Helenburg area in District 5.

The resolution would vacate in part the moratorium originally established by Ordinance Council Series No. 2024‑979 for the property at 21454 Parker Drive in Mandeville so the owner may proceed with resubmission to the Planning and Zoning Commission for resubdivision, rezoning or permit review. Councilman Phillips explained that the lot had plans that met “area of special concern” requirements and council members said they did not want the owner to lose two weeks of progress while waiting for the regular meeting schedule.

A member of the public, Jamie Segura, told the council she initially intended to oppose the request but had spoken with legal counsel and withdrew her opposition. Councilman Phillips moved the resolution and it was seconded; the council voted, and the motion passed unanimously with one member absent.

The resolution applies only to the parcel identified in the motion; Planning and Zoning filings and any permits remain subject to applicable land‑use rules and approvals.","The council voted unanimously (one absent) to partially vacate a moratorium established by Ordinance 2024‑979 for a parcel at 21454 Parker Drive in the Helenburg area so the property owner may resume subdivision or construction filings.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council removes senior and disability providers from millage rollback, advances drainage change for July vote

Public opposition stalls TRAC resolution with DA involvement; council postpones vote to August

Council lifts moratorium on one Helenburg‑area lot to allow immediate building plans