LIVINGSTON – Livingston Parish voters have rejected a property tax renewal that funds the parish health unit and environmental services.
51% of voters rejected the tax while 49% of voters were in favor of it, according to complete but unofficial election returns.
Livingston Parish President Randy Delatte had actively campaigned to convince voters of the tax renewal’s necessity. He and other parish leaders reduced the previous 2.5-mill property tax, which was rejected last year, to 2.0 mills, but the reduction still failed to win over voters.
In recent elections, Livingston Parish voters have consistently opposed tax increases. A similar tax renewal was rejected in 2023, the same year voters also turned down a one-cent sales tax meant to fund teacher pay raises.
Voters who spoke with UWK said it was time for the parish to “tighten their belts” after recent property tax hikes. This sentiment was echoed in comments on Facebook posts by parish leaders advocating for the tax ahead of the election.
Delatte explained that the tax, originally passed in 2015, is critical for funding essential parish services. In October, he expressed concern over the impact if the measure failed, warning of uncertainty about how some parish services would continue over the next decade.
“I wasn’t the Parish President when this renewal failed last year, but I’ve heard you loud and clear,” Delatte said in October. “Many of us didn’t realize what this tax truly supports. Let me be clear: cutting this funding would mean cutting the very services that keep our restaurants, cafeterias, daycares, food trucks, sewer systems, and more, safe.”
The parish health unit, partially funded by the rejected tax, provides vaccinations, cancer screenings, children’s health programs, mental health support for new mothers, and Medicaid assistance. While some services receive federal and state funding, the parish is responsible for covering all facility costs and utilities.
The tax also funded inspections for restaurants, bars, and grocery stores, as well as public health facility monitoring for nursing homes, schools, daycare centers, and sewer systems. It also handled death certificates for the parish.
Parish Councilman Ricky Goff noted that the tax also helped fund the management of the parish’s various water systems and oversight of the Mo-Dad systems used for wastewater management.
“While the state helps fund many of these services, your local tax dollars ensure we can provide the support needed to keep Livingston Parish safe and healthy,” Delatte said in an October 20 Facebook post. “These inspections and services protect our homes, businesses, and, most importantly, our families.
What happens next is unclear. Delatte told UWK last month, “There’s no other place in the budget to pull these funds from. Roads and drainage are already stretched thin, and the law doesn’t allow us to shift those funds to cover public health.”
Goff had said surplus funds would have to be used to keep the health unit operational. It’s unclear how long the parish would be able to keep the unit open using these funds.
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