ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — In a memo sent to St. Tammany Parish Councilmembers in December, Parish President Mike Cooper raised concerns about the St. Tammany Coroner's Office proposed tax renewal.
Cooper told Eyewitness News he's not opposed to the renewal; he just wants to see it reduced. He said the bonds for the coroner's facility and DNA lab in Lacombe will be paid off next year.
“I’m not asking him to reduce his current expenses. However, with the bonds being paid off, the amount of the millage could be reduced particularly when property values are increasing, which means the same amount of mils, will generate more revenue for the coroner’s office," Cooper said.
The memo also mentioned an ongoing legal dispute between the coroner's office and parish government.
"We should not ask the public to vote for a millage until this matter is amicably resolved," Cooper wrote in the memo.
The council did allow the millage to be on the April 29 ballot, and it failed. 56% of people voted no. However, Cooper said voter turnout was low.
Meanwhile, St. Tammany Coroner Dr. Charles Preston said the millage would have generated $7.8 million annually to support his office.
“In my mind, it takes $7 million a year to run the coroner’s office. That’s without the bond payment," Preston said.
Preston said the money isn't just going to death investigations. It also funds sexual assault and mental health cases.
“These are public safety initiatives. It would really compromise the public safety in St. Tammany Parish if we have to close the DNA lab altogether," Preston said.
Preston said he isn't opposed to the millage being evaluated and rolled back as it has been several times in recent years. He just wants to see it funded.
“I want to keep $7 million in reserve so that in the case of a catastrophe, we would be able to continue to function," Preston said.
That's what he's now calling Cooper, a 'catastrophe.'
“Cooper is the catastrophe in the sense if I’m not able to renew this millage, then it is going to trigger us to go into the catastrophe fund," Preston said.
Eyewitness News asked Cooper what he thought about being called that.
“I think that’s silly, I really do," Cooper said.
Cooper said the coroner's budget is currently funded through 2025, and the coroner can request the council to put the renewal on another ballot.
“I have issued a letter to President Cooper to please share with me his specific, actionable plan that I can institute and still continue to provide all of the services and all of the elements of public safety that the coroner’s office can do. I will wait until Monday to see if he has a plan," Preston said, “If he doesn’t have a plan then I’m going to have to make some very difficult decisions to protect the public safety of the people of St. Tammany Parish.”
Preston said he has no plans to lay anyone off, but he will have to reconsider services and equipment.
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