St. Tammany DA fights proposed 60% budget cut he says could hurt prosecutions

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The St. Tammany DA continues to fight against a proposed 60% cut to his budget, saying he and other Parish agencies are doing all they can to help right the ship.

With St. Tammany facing a $22 million budget shortfall, DA Collin Sims has been asked to consider a budget that could slash prosecutions.

“I can’t maintain that talent for less than $7 million a year for two parishes when I’m charging 1000 more defendants a year,” Sims told FOX 8.

If parish voters fail to pass a quarter cent sales tax increase in December, Sims’ office would take a 60% cut, and he’s not alone.

“The judiciary took a 60% cut. The coroner’s office runs out of money in 2027, the DNA lab which we’ve had for 10 years is gone, there’s no money for it,” Sims said.

Parish officials are about to launch a limited media campaign for new taxes, with many pointing to millage rollbacks for several agencies including libraries and mosquito control.

“You see our millage that we lowered from 2025 originally collecting 3.1%, it’s down to 2.27%,” said St. Tammany Mosquito Abatement Director Kevin Caillouet.

Caillouet also told councilmembers Wednesday that his office has cut travel expenses, and staff and is now down to 30 employees, and he said they’ve sold off an airplane.

Sims said he is also cutting where he can.

“I was paying $60,000 a year to be in the Towers building. We’ve moved out of there,” Sims said.

The St. Tammany DA also represents Washington Parish, which Sims said is covering its share of expenses.

“They’re hard working in Washington Parish, but they’re one of the poorest parishes in Louisiana and able to pay their portion of the taxes, but St. Tammany is one of the more affluent parishes and is gutting public safety,” Sims said.

Sims said that the net impact of millage rollbacks and cuts makes the proposed sales tax hike a wash.

“I think the message to the public is ‘new doesn’t have to be more.’ The parish reduced a lot of property tax millages over the year,” Sims said.

With voters rejecting six previous tax hikes, St. Tammany officials said they have held 60 public meetings and have launched a social media campaign, trying to get out the word about the Dec. 12 vote.

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