Rededication vote deserves our support

On the surface, the request from St. Tammany officials to parish voters, asking for permission to rededicate a 2-cent sales tax to help fund important public safety agencies, should be one that has a reasonable chance of passing, even in the “no taxes” era the parish has been under for many years.
The measure on the ballot this Saturday, March 29, does not raise taxes—it is simply a renewal. For that matter, the 2-cent sales tax will continue to be charged at stores whether the voters approve the request or not.
The question for parish residents when they go to the polls is one of trust. With all that is going on in our country these days, particularly at the national level where billions of dollars of fraud and waste are being uncovered by the new Trump administration, it is not going to help locals be so sure they can trust parish government with any tax dollars.
There has been an all-out onslaught by parish leaders in the past six weeks to get out a “yes” vote. From District Attorney Collin Sims to former Parish Council Chairman Joe Impastato to judges from the 22nd District Court, they have formed a team to speak to every public organization they can find, urging them to pass this rededication.
Leading the speeches has always been their best argument: “This will not raise your taxes.”
Parish leaders are asking to be allowed to use up to 17 percent of the 2-cent sales tax money to fund the D.A.’s Office and the judges operations at the Justice Center. It is a reasonable request since almost everyone will agree that public safety on the North Shore is critically important to us all.
But lurking in the shadows of every talk is the history that makes parish voters question things. Can we count on our government to do things more honestly than we see at the federal level?
Sims and Impastato even came up with an additional insurance policy when Sims offered the use of his new forensic accountant, who he has promised to go over every nickel of where St. Tammany Parish money is going to.
From this corner, we believe voters should pass this request. It is important, and it is much needed for the criminal justice department to keep putting the bad guys in jail. Without it, you will see far less stories of arrested criminals going to prison, and far longer waiting times for those seeking help from the courts for issues like divorces, civil suits or other secondary court cases.
Whether it passes or not will be evidence about whether St. Tammany voters are being swayed by the things getting discovered at the federal level. But from the viewpoint of this publication, we believe the effort made by parish leaders has been good enough to give them a chance.
Please vote “yes” on the sales tax rededication.