Voters in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish will decide the fates of several tax propositions on Saturday, April 30. In each parish, the ballot will be short but critical to funding local education — and in Jefferson, to funding public safety as well.
Here’s a look at each of the parish-wide propositions.
The New Orleans proposal would levy a 5-mill, 20-year property tax dedicated to expanded early childhood education programs that the city currently funds via general revenue sources. Proponents have rallied behind the slogan, “YES for NOLA Kids” (yesfornolakids.com). If approved by voters, the 5-mill property tax would generate about $21 million a year to pay for more than 1,000 underprivileged kids ages 0-3 to enroll in early childhood education programs.
That money could draw down another $21 million in state matching funds, say proponents. More than 70% of the money would go directly to programs for infants and toddlers. The rest would pay for health screenings, social workers, start-up costs and administrative costs. The nonprofit Agenda for Children will administer the program with the Orleans Parish School Board.
Under a five-year cooperative endeavor agreement approved by the City Council and backed by Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Agenda’s share of the funds would be capped at $1 million per year. The school board would get $1,500 per child to manage enrollment. The agreement also calls for quarterly public reports on the program’s finances and operations. This is the only item on the April 30 ballot in New Orleans.
In Jefferson, the parish school board wants voters parish-wide to renew an existing half-penny (or .5%) sales tax for 10 years. The tax currently generates about $58 million a year for public schools throughout Jefferson.
The board’s campaign has been low-key, which is common when public bodies seek to renew existing taxes. The board’s website (jpschools.org/voteapril30) notes that the revenue would pay for counselors and social workers, teacher and staff salaries and benefits, improved technology, and facilities maintenance.
Sheriff Joe Lopinto is asking voters to levy a new, 7-mill property tax for 10 years to fund deputies’ and correctional officers’ salaries, update equipment, maintain his department’s crime lab (which includes DNA analysis), and cover the nearly $2 million annual costs of body cameras. The Jefferson Business Council supports the millage, and so far Lopinto has encountered no organized opposition.
“We haven’t asked for a tax increase since 1992, when voters approved a quarter-cent sales tax,” Lopinto says. “Law enforcement has changed dramatically since then, and we need to keep up — particularly with regard to salaries. Our deputies are seriously underpaid, and we need to correct that imbalance.”
Elsewhere in Jefferson, voters on the East Bank will consider renewal of a 3-mill, 10-year property tax for street lighting; some West Bank voters will decide whether to renew a 25-mill, 10-year property tax for fire protection; and Kenner voters in Council District 1 will decide a runoff between Dee Dunn and David Weathersby.
Early voting in both parishes begins next Saturday, April 16, and continues through Saturday, April 23.