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Flood Authority Seeks Renewal of West Jefferson Levee Millage; Says Work Protects $41B in Property
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Summary
The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority — West asked council members to support a 4.75‑mill renewal on the Nov. 15 ballot to fund levee lifts and maintenance that the authority says protect $41 billion in property and 250,000 people on the West Bank; the presentation outlined previous levy lifts and planned Corps coordination.
Officials from the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority — West briefed the Jefferson Parish Council Oct. 22 on a renewal millage for the West Jefferson levee district that will appear on the Nov. 15 ballot.
Scott Burke, board president, and Jesse Noel, the authority’s regional director, described the supplemental millage as a renewal, not a new tax. They said the proposed 4.75 mills generate roughly $6.5 million annually and account for about 45% of the levee district’s operating revenue. The engineers’ presentation listed components of the protection system — about 80 miles of levees and floodwalls, 67 floodgates, 35 drainage valves, and three large closure complexes — and said those structures protect roughly $41 billion in property and 250,000 residents.
The authority noted prior levee-lift work (including a $23 million program that raised roughly 18 miles of levee in 2018) and said additional lifts and complex maintenance are required before the next major storm season. They discussed coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin construction by May on a levee lift and emphasized that maintenance must be done ahead of storms.
Council members thanked the authority for the briefing; no formal council action on endorsement was recorded during the meeting. Officials said the district will ask voters to renew the supplemental millage on Nov. 15 with early voting dates noted in the presentation.
