Committee advances bill to restore parish oversight of Saint Tammany mosquito district after contentious testimony

Representative Barrault urged the House committee to approve HB 286, saying the bill removes a special statutory provision enacted in the 1980s that she said gave “total control” of the Saint Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement District to an unelected board. Barrault said the change would restore the budget-approval role of the parish council and provide additional oversight while preserving funds for mosquito abatement: “All the money that goes in has been voted by voters for mosquito abatement. That is still the case,” she said.

Barrault framed the measure as one piece of a broader response to Saint Tammany’s fiscal strain, saying repeated voter rejections of renewals and growing obligations have left the parish wrestling with how to fund public-safety needs. She said local leaders, taxing bodies and the abatement board met and worked toward agreements, and she submitted resolutions from both the mosquito board and parish council supporting the statutory repeal.

Several members questioned program continuity and the law’s mechanics. Representative Freiberg asked who would have “ultimate oversight,” and Barrault said oversight reverts to the agency that created the district — the parish council — under existing statute language. Representative Farmer and others sought confirmation that the millage would remain dedicated to mosquito control; Barrault said the district would continue spraying and must use millage revenue for mosquito abatement.

Three residents testified in opposition. Rebecca Baum of Mandeville said she supported the district attorney’s office but opposed altering voter-approved dedicated funds: “I do not support this,” she said, arguing the proposal would erode trust and look like changing the rules after voters approved the millage. Timothy L. Williams said the bill was “a direct violation of the public’s trust,” warning that redirecting dedicated tax revenue or liquidating assets would set a dangerous precedent.

Terry Louis Stevens, who said he served as treasurer of the Mosquito Abatement District, provided detailed testimony opposing the measure. Stevens said the district is debt-free with substantial paid capital and stated that it holds about $41,000,000 in assets; he said an enhanced audit found only a minor miscategorization and that the agency has returned excess funds to taxpayers. Stevens warned that abolishment under the consolidation/abolishment statute cited in local discussion — not the repeal under consideration — would transfer assets to the parish and could lead to liquidation.

Barrault and other supporters said HB 286 is not intended to abolish the district or transfer funds away from mosquito control, but to allow elected parish officials to approve budgets and seek efficiencies that could, in their view, reduce millage rates. Barrault said the bill “does not eliminate the district” and that to move assets or liquidate them would require abolishment under a separate statute.

A committee member noted an earlier motion by Representative Lyons to report the bill favorably. Hearing no objection, the chair advanced HB 286 out of committee by voice vote. The committee did not record a roll-call tally on the floor during the hearing. The committee adjourned following the action.