Jeremy Alford & David Jacobs: Local propositions will appear on crowded ballots

In November, Louisiana will hold its next “great convergence” election. That’s what Secretary of State Nancy Landry calls the once-a-decade alignment of local, state and federal terms that produces a supersized ballot, this time featuring more than 2,700 races.
Competing for attention in the crowded field will be 90 local government proposals, most seeking to renew or extend existing revenue streams. Voters also will consider tax increases, bond proposals and amendments to their local government’s charter.
Does having such a packed ballot make it harder to pass local propositions? Police Jury Association of Louisiana Executive Director Guy Cormier doesn’t think it necessarily helps or hurts, though he stressed the need to educate the public on why local officials are making their request.
But he noted the slate of 10 proposed constitutional amendments, which is a lot, even by Louisiana standards. Local props always come after the elected offices and state amendments on the ballot, Cormier said.
“By the time they get to us, there may be some burnout,” he said. “That’s the biggest ballot for constitutional amendments we’ve seen in quite some time.”
Since describing every local prop would be impossible here, we cherry-picked a handful of interesting proposals to highlight below…
• ST. MARY: Voters will consider a broad rewrite of the parish charter that would include eliminating three at-large parish council seats, limiting the parish president and council members to one-and-a-half consecutive terms while increasing their pay, and eliminating the chief administrative officer position, among other changes.
• ORLEANS: After former Mayor LaToya Cantrell left the city with a $220 million deficit, the City Council is asking voters to approve a charter amendment meant to enhance spending oversight. The amendment would prevent departments from spending more than their allocated amounts in the annual operating budget unless the City Council formally adopts a budget amendment, while restricting allotments, transfers or approvals of payments that would cause any budget category to exceed its authorized limit. The chief administrative officer and the Department of Finance would be required to submit monthly expenditure reports to the council.
• CADDO: The Caddo Parish Commission has proposed a $60 million bond issue to pay most of the estimated $68 million cost for a new sports and events center.
• CALCASIEU: The Calcasieu Parish School Board has a $74 million bond proposal for construction and capital improvements for schools in the Sulphur area. Last year, voters rejected an $83 million bond proposal for the same area by a 62%-38% margin. A $20 million bond issuance for schools in a different part of the parish passed in May by only two votes.
•CLAIBORNE: Voters outside of the incorporated municipalities of Homer and Haynesville will consider two measures that could raise the rate of the sales tax that pays for waste management from 1% to 2%. If this vote fails, the Police Jury says it will no longer provide curbside trash pickup, and “individual residents will have to contract a provider to dispose of their trash going forward.”
• EAST BATON ROUGE: A 0.5 mill parishwide property tax that pays for mosquito abatement is up for renewal.
•IBERIA: New Iberia voters will see a city charter amendment that would increase the next mayor’s salary, which is currently set at $80,000. The proposition’s text does not say what the new salary would be. The increase would kick in starting in 2029, after current Mayor Freddie DeCourt is termed out of office.
• JEFFERSON: Three property tax measures would fund ambulance services (4 mills), fire protection (8.5 mills) and police (8 mills) in Gretna.
•MOREHOUSE: Parish voters will consider a 1 mill tax to support the Morehouse Activity Center. In Ward 2, a 2 mill tax would pay for the acquisition, improvement, maintenance and upkeep of public cemeteries.
Legislation Rep. Francis Thompson passed last year increased the maximum amount parish authorities are allowed to ask voters to approve for cemeteries in any given ward from 2 mills to 3 mills.
•RAPIDES: Voters in the town of Boyce will decide whether to replace an elected chief of police position with a marshal the mayor and Board of Aldermen would appoint.
•ST. JAMES: District V Recreation District wants to issue up to $3 million in bonds for construction and capital improvements.
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