Plaquemines Parish voters head to the polls Nov. 3 to decide whether to rededicate a slice of an existing sales tax toward Emergency Medical Services, a move parish officials say would create the first dedicated funding source for EMS while keeping the fire department fully funded. The measure asks residents to split an existing 1% sales and use tax, sending 30% to EMS and continuing to direct 70% to the parish fire department.
No New Tax, Just a New Split
The proposal would not create any new tax and would not increase the existing tax rate, according to the Plaquemines Parish Government. Instead, it rededicates how proceeds from the parish's existing public safety sales tax get divided between the two emergency services. The Plaquemines Parish Council set the stage for the vote back on June 25, when it unanimously adopted Resolution No. 26-215 calling the special election, according to citizenportal.ai. That resolution estimates the tax would generate $15 million annually.
Right now, EMS has no dedicated revenue source of its own, relying instead on annual general fund appropriations of approximately $2.47 million, per the parish government's proposal. Ambulance fees and insurance reimbursements cover only part of the cost of operating EMS, according to The Plaquemines Gazette, leaving a funding gap that the rededication is designed to close.
What the Money Would Fund
If approved, the parish says the EMS share would support additional personnel, new ambulances, and parish-wide coverage across the north, south, and east banks, with an eye toward long-term service sustainability. The fire department, meanwhile, is projected to remain financially strong and fully operational under the new allocation. Parish officials point to the department's unreserved fund balance, which grew from $827,104 in fiscal year 2021 to a projected approximately $49.9 million in fiscal year 2026.
The Department of Finance prepared financial projections showing the fire department remains financially strong under the proposed allocation, and the parish says the rededication is projected to preserve approximately $30 million in general fund capacity over the next decade. A full presentation, including 10-year financial projections for both the fire department and EMS, is available at parish offices and on the parish website.
Early Voting Details and a Scheduling Conflict
Voters can head to the polls early before Election Day. The Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court lists early voting as running from Tuesday, Oct. 20 through Tuesday, Oct. 27, excluding Sunday, Oct. 25, with hours from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. A separate parish calendar listing, by contrast, describes early voting running from Oct. 16 through Oct. 27, excluding Sundays, with hours from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. — a discrepancy voters may want to confirm directly with election officials before heading out.
No excuse is needed to vote early in Plaquemines Parish. Early voters can cast ballots in person at the Registrar of Voters Office in Port Sulphur, the Courthouse Annex Building in Belle Chasse, or the Percy Griffin Community Center in Davant — though the Davant location is open only on Saturdays, according to the clerk of court's office.
The Plaquemines Parish Government, which describes itself as a nonpartisan public information resource, has encouraged eligible residents to participate in the voting process. Parish officials are also urging residents to review the complete proposal and to be informed about every measure on the Nov. 3 ballot before casting a vote.
