Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
St. Tammany Parish Council amends proposed 2026 operating budget amid debate over cuts, COLA and dedicated funds
Summary
Councilmembers debated and amended the proposed 2026 operating budget (ordinance 7963), approving a package of reallocations and reductions that removed proposed merit/COLA increases pending insurance costs, cut funds including $600,000 from Safe Haven, and produced a series of procedural votes as members questioned whether some cuts would effectively eliminate positions.
Councilmembers on the St. Tammany Parish Council spent the bulk of their meeting Tuesday on amendments to the proposed 2026 operating budget, debating cuts to personnel increases, transfers from targeted programs and whether legally dedicated fund balances can be reallocated.
Councilmember Tanner introduced the primary amendment, saying the measure removes the proposed merit and cost-of-living (COLA) increases from department budgets until insurance-cost estimates are known. "I haven't a clue" how the parish will absorb a projected 2027 shortfall, Tanner said, and proposed removing roughly $1,000,000 in merit/COLA amounts and specific line items to reduce expenditures.
Tanner itemized changes included removing $600,000 from the Safe Haven program while preserving funds for rent and grants; deleting $50,000 from council professional services; eliminating a $120,000 vehicle for the CAO; cutting a $450,000 sewer study in environmental services; shifting $125,000 from the fairgrounds master plan; and budgeting…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
