 | Raising taxes during this economic downturn is unjustified,
regressive, and unconscionable. |
| Many Jefferson residents are already paying significantly higher
property taxes due to increased property assessments and the "roll forward"
of property tax millage rates by the Sheriff’s Office and some other
governmental entities. |
| The Sheriff reaped a windfall of as much as $5 million a year in additional
taxes when he rolled forward the property tax millage rate WITHOUT A VOTE OF
THE PEOPLE. |
| Based on conservative estimates, the 1/4-cent sales tax would
generate over $17.5 million a year—out of taxpayers' pockets. |
| Jefferson Parish Council Chairman John Young thinks other sources
should be explored before putting the burden of the quarter-cent sales tax
on consumers. |
| Despite positive reports by Sheriff Normand about crime in Jefferson
Parish (the second lowest crime rate in 28 years), scare tactics are
being used to coerce taxpayers into voting for the quarter-cent
sales tax. Not only is crime down, but the JPSO response time has even been reduced
by over a minute to 4.26
minutes. |
| JPSO actually has more employees today (1478 in 2008) than in 2005 prior
to Katrina (1451), contrary to what we have been led to believe. And
the patrol districts are at full strength. |
| The JPSO salaries and benefits for deputies are generally
competitive with other law enforcement agencies in the area. A significant
plus for JPSO deputies is the unlimited use within Orleans and
Jefferson of JPSO take-home vehicles, including gasoline, insurance, and
maintenance, which has an estimated value of well in excess of $6,000 per year and is
the most liberal policy for police vehicles in the area. And JPSO
pays 100% of the cost of hospitalization insurance for employees. |
| All deputies receive State Supplemental Pay of $425 per month
($5100/year) after completing one year of full-time service, in addition to
their JPSO salary. |
| Since Newell Normand became Chief Financial Officer of the Jefferson
Parish Sheriff’s Office, the salaries of our front-line deputies have nearly
doubled. |
| CANT is upset that the Sheriff borrowed $30 million in tax revenue bonds
to finance capital projects that had already been funded out of the
windfall of revenue which poured into his coffers after Katrina.
The bonds were therefore not necessary and the funds needed to service
the bonds could have been better spent on salaries and new hires. |
| The current economic downturn should make it easier to recruit deputies,
since fewer job opportunities will be available. |
| The idea for a ¼ cent sales tax increase did not originate with Sheriff
Normand, but with Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO).
And this was before the economy tanked and the Sheriff increased our taxes
by up to $5 million. |
| In the Sheriff’s Office Budget Message for 06-07, Sheriff Normand
states: "The largest hurdle the Sheriff’s office faces is not inadequate
funding, but inadequate staffing. |
| Raising the sales tax rate would erase one of Jefferson’s competitive
advantages over the adjoining parishes, who already have a sales tax rate of
9%. |
| On November 4th 2008, 69% of Covington voters turned down a
¼-cent sales tax to increase police and firefighter salaries, even though
the starting salary for Covington police is $6,000 less than for the JPSO. |
