St. Tammany Parish finance committee forwards four budget amendments after staff reports higher sales-tax collections

The St. Tammany Parish Finance Committee met to review monthly finance reports and to consider a set of budget amendments that the committee voted to forward to the full Parish Council.

Finance staff member Annie told the committee that Sales Tax District 3 collections in September were roughly 8% higher than the same month last year and were above budget, part of a 4%–8% monthly trend through the year. "We continue to trend up for the collections," Annie said, adding that parish-wide sales-tax cash collections are projected in the $79 million to $80 million range — about $4,000,000 over the prior-year baseline of $76,000,000. On the Highway 21 EDD, she said September receipts were down about 1.6% compared with last year and that district collections were mixed since Costco began collections last year.

Annie presented projected fund balances and said there were no substantive changes from last month. She said the general fund is expected to finish the year with an available budgetary fund balance about $1.9 million above current expectations and that amount is already accounted for in the 2026 budget to help cover state mandates.

The committee reviewed four ordinance items on the calendar. Ordinance 8013 (operating budget amendment no. 18) would increase the library fund's revenue and expenditure budget by $430,000 and increase the Stark and Council on Aging budgets by $230,000 based on the latest grand recap. The same amendment also reduces budgeted interest income for several lighting districts to reflect declining fund balances and higher electricity costs.

Ordinance 8014 (operating budget amendment no. 19) would amend the general fund in three places: a $35,500 increase to allow the clerk of court to partially purchase a planned 159 computers (the clerk will be able to buy about half of that number now), a $10,000 increase for the district attorney's criminal court system expenses, and a $35,500 decrease for City Court of East St. Tammany based on historical actuals and a trial court ruling.

Grant budget amendment no. 11 is a $10,000 award for Atmos Energy Assistance to provide utility assistance to low-income families who are Atmos customers. Capital amendment no. 30 adds $75,000 from the State Department of Treasury to fund removal and disposal of abandoned and derelict vessels from parish waterways, described by staff as covering approximately seven vessels in a location spoken in the transcript as "Salt buying." That addition brings the removal project budget to $225,000 (the original $150,000 was funded by GOMESA).

The chair asked for a motion to forward items 9 through 12 to the full council; a member seconded and the chair declared the motion carried. The transcript records no roll-call tally for the referral.

The committee adjourned after the vote. The referred amendments and budget changes will next be considered by the full St. Tammany Parish Council.