St. Tammany Parish's proposed $184 million budget for 2027 leaves no money to fix a jail that interim Sheriff Bret Ibert describes as being in deplorable condition, with closed dormitories, failing air conditioning and mold problems throughout the facility. The spending plan, introduced by Parish President Mike Cooper, slashes funding across the criminal justice system as the parish grapples with an estimated $22 million shortfall heading into the new fiscal year.
Cooper introduced the $184 million budget at a parish council meeting earlier this month, according to nola.com, which reported the total is roughly the same as last year's figure once amendments and additions are factored in. The parish is dealing with an estimated $22 million budget shortfall, WWL-TV reported, and available funding for the district attorney's office, the 22nd Judicial District courts and the correctional facility has been reduced by as much as 60 percent.
Jail and DA's Office Absorb Deep Cuts
Under the proposal, St. Tammany Parish Jail funding would drop from slightly more than $6 million last year to approximately $3.5 million, per WDSU. The station also reported that the district attorney's office would see its funding fall from about $6.5 million to $4.5 million, and that the budget only allocates money to partially fund the jail's medical care contract. District Attorney Collin Sims said that based on current cash flows, he would have to eliminate $2.2 million in salaries and benefits, according to the FOX 8 Local First report that first detailed the proposal by reporter Rob Masson.
Interim Sheriff Bret Ibert said it will be nearly impossible to sustain the upkeep of the jail, which is already deteriorating, the station's report noted. Masson's reporting for FOX 8 Local First described the jail as having closed dormitories due to lack of air conditioning, only temporary cooling in food service areas, and severe drainage, plumbing and mold issues. Ibert said the jail has no upkeep funding under the current proposal and described conditions there as deplorable, adding that without new tax revenue, he intends to pull from operational funds just to keep the jail running next year.
Courts Could Scale Back to Three Days a Week
The budget would also cut courthouse security by 40 percent, which could force the justice center to close to the public at certain times during 2027, per the same WDSU account. Judge Alan Zaunbrecher told the station that civil cases — car wrecks, contract disputes — trial dates would be very difficult if not impossible to get to, since the court would prioritize felony cases first. FOX 8 Local First reported that judges warned the cuts could reduce courthouse operations to as little as three days a week and prevent the system from handling civil cases at all.
Cheryl Tanner said the situation could mean that criminals are not brought to trial and civil cases simply do not happen, according to Masson's report. That warning echoes a pattern parish officials have flagged for months: funding for the district attorney's office, courthouse and jail was already cut 30 percent compared with the prior year, nola.com reported in an earlier story on the parish's criminal justice funding options, with officials cautioning that steeper cuts could follow in 2027.
A Quarter-Cent Tax, Seven Times Over
To close the gap, parish leaders are hoping voters approve a five-year, quarter-cent sales tax on a Dec. 12 ballot, a measure nola.com reported would be dedicated to criminal justice funding. Officials estimate the tax would generate $18.3 million annually, according to a separate WDSU report on the sales tax vote. It marks the seventh time parish officials have proposed a quarter-cent sales tax for this purpose, per FOX 8 Local First's reporting, after six previous attempts over the past decade failed, according to nola.com's earlier coverage of the parish's funding options.
Parish officials say the new tax would rank St. Tammany 47th among Louisiana's 64 parishes in sales tax burden, Masson reported. Joe Impastato said the goal is to lower the tax burden while maintaining or improving service quality, according to the same report. Officials have also reported reducing millages for mosquito abatement and libraries as part of a broader effort, and parish leaders are forming a 15-member commission called Reset St. Tammany to develop long-term financial strategies, the FOX 8 Local First report noted.
Not everyone is convinced a new tax is the answer. Latoya Andrews of Covington said taxpayers are responsible for funding the court system but argued officials should find a better way, since taxes are already high, per Masson's reporting. St. Tammany officials have said they used reserve funds and ARPA dollars to balance budgets in prior years, and used $22 million in nonrecurring funds from 2024 through 2026 to support state-mandated criminal justice costs, according to nola.com. Parish officials have also said dedicated funding sources cannot legally be redirected to cover unrelated costs, the outlet reported.
What Happens Next
The proposed operating and capital budgets now head to the St. Tammany Parish Council for review, with WWL-TV reporting that final adoption is expected by the end of the year following public meetings. Separately, St. Tammany Parish Government has said state law requires it to fund several offices and agencies within the criminal justice system, and has noted that a court ruling on the parish's 2024 funding for the 22nd Judicial District Court found that year's budget exceeded the parish's minimum legal funding mandate — while also stating that the ruling did not determine the courts' ultimate funding needs going forward.
