St. Tammany Parish has been warned about its fragile finances for decades. Parish President Mike Cooper campaigned on those warnings, but five years into his administration, the parish faces the same problems—only deeper. Instead of addressing structural waste or redundancy, the response has been piecemeal cuts and another attempt to shift taxes, leaving public safety and public trust on the chopping block.

The 2025 budget debate revealed just how dire things have become. Cooper’s proposal called for 55 percent cuts to the District Attorney’s Office and the 22nd Judicial District Court. Northshore District Attorney Collin Sims didn’t mince words—he called the budget “a piece of garbage” and warned that, if enacted, his only option would be to begin terminating staff. Chief Judge William “Billy” Burris told the council that the plan would “gut the judicial branch,” predicting prisoners released, trials delayed for years, and a collapsing business climate. (NOLA.com)

The administration’s defense has been to point toward a proposed tax rededication, shifting road-and-bridge revenue toward criminal justice. But the vote on that measure is scheduled for March 2025, months after the budget takes effect in January. As Sims put it, it is “woefully irresponsible” to write a budget that assumes voters will approve the change—especially since residents have rejected six straight tax proposals. (Slidell Independent)

The cycle is familiar: cuts to essential services, a scramble to find temporary funds, and another attempt to pass the burden to voters. Cooper’s 2025 proposal is only

 the latest version of kicking the can down the road. Public officials from across the parish—council members, former Parish President Kevin Davis, the Chamber of Commerce, and civic groups—have all called for serious efficiency reforms. They point to millions wasted on lawsuits, bloated legal fees, and redundant agencies. Oversight efforts like the Transparency and Resource Accountability Committee (TRAC) have been met with resistance instead of cooperation.

The danger isn’t abstract. Without prosecutors and judges adequately funded, cases will back up, criminals will go free, and public confidence in government will weaken even further. Burris went so far as to warn that Cooper’s budget would make St. Tammany “the next Portland, Oregon,” a parish functionally defunding its own justice system. (NOLA.com)

Residents of St. Tammany are already among the highest-taxed in the state. They’ve made it clear they won’t approve new taxes until their government proves it can manage the money it has. Until parish leadership stops patching holes and starts building a sustainable plan, public safety will continue to absorb the consequences of political avoidance.