St. Tammany Parish Council Meeting November 5, 2026

The St. Tammany Parish Council held its November 5, 2026 meeting with public hearings on the proposed 2027 operating budget and 2027–2031 capital improvement budget. Both budget ordinances were postponed to a November 18 special meeting; neither budget was adopted. Speakers and officials discussed the parish’s reported funding shortfall and potential reductions affecting NAMI/Safe Haven, the courts, the District Attorney’s Office, the coroner’s DNA lab, and the jail. The Sheriff described recurring facility repairs costing tens of thousands of dollars, while the court and DA representatives warned that proposed cuts could reduce staffing and services. Officials also urged support for a proposed public-safety sales tax, but no vote on that proposal occurred at this meeting.

The council discussed a new, nonsubsidized ambulance services contract with Aadian Ambulance, scheduled to begin January 1 for four years with two renewal options. The described terms add helicopter service and an electronic dashboard for the parish dispatch center; the transcript does not capture a final vote on the contract. Fire officials also reported that parish fire districts had received major regional grant awards, without stating award amounts. Other funding-related business included unanimous amendments to special-election resolutions for Lighting Districts 5, 7, and 11, aligning the proposed tax periods to run from 2027 through 2034. The council also considered development moratoria and impact-fee changes, including discussion of a proposed increase in single-family impact fees and removal of a 10-year refund provision.