St. Tammany Parish Council Meeting October 1, 2026

At its October 1, 2026 meeting, the St. Tammany Parish Council introduced the ordinances for the 2027 operating budget (Calendar No. 8185) and the 2027–2031 capital improvement budget and capital assets (Calendar No. 8186). Parish President Mike Cooper described the budget process as especially challenging and said more than $66 million from a dedicated two-cent sales tax would support roads, bridges, drainage, utilities, and other capital improvements. He also noted that general-fund revenues are insufficient to meet all agency responsibilities, including criminal justice, and the council encouraged public participation in scheduled budget hearings. The budgets were introduced for consideration; the transcript does not record their adoption or specific contract awards, vendor selections, or purchasing approvals.

The council voted 12–2 to uphold the zoning commission’s conditional-use approval for a commercial excavation operation on a 53-acre site, with excavation limited to 24 acres and a stated maximum depth of 40 feet. Discussion addressed groundwater concerns, traffic, operating hours, backfill controls, and parish inspections; this was a land-use decision rather than a procurement action. The council also introduced, as amended, an ordinance making code changes that include development and zoning procedures. No procurement-related contract awards or vendor decisions were identified.