St. Tammany Parish Budget Hearings : October 15, 2026 PART 1

The St. Tammany Parish budget hearings on October 15, 2026, included presentations from COAST, STARC, the library, the coroner’s office, and parish finance staff. The council lacked a quorum, so no council action or votes were taken. Procurement and capital items included COAST’s award of the parish urban transportation contract after its prior contract expired September 30; the agency said the funding arrangement will require a budget amendment. COAST also has a grant application pending for a home-delivered-meal vehicle. STARC reported that it is constructing its fifth eight-bed residential home, with such homes costing about $1.5 million each, and described planned facility changes to expand day-program capacity.

Library projects include the Lacombe branch, with a stated budget of $4.05 million; a Mandeville renovation that had begun that week; planned Slidell branch expansion; and replacement of the Madisonville branch HVAC chiller. The library said commercial furniture is generally purchased through competitive bidding, often using state contracts. Parish finance projected about $5 million in utility-fund capital improvements for 2027. The coroner presented a proposed budget reduced from $8.3 million to $7.9 million, citing savings and a shift away from recruiting a full-time forensic pathologist toward contracted locum-tenens services. Presenters also discussed funding pressures, grant seeking, and millage renewals that affect future service and capital planning.