New Orleans 1st Logo
Sign-Up for our Newsletter & Text Updates

Christopher Tidmore is back on the radio on 1190 AM WBSL New Orleans/ Miss Gulf Coast from 4-6 PM & 1590 AM KKAY Baton Rouge from 4-5 PM or listen online from 4-6 PM at www.kkay1590.com.

Section: Business

Christopher Tidmore is back on the radio on 1190 AM WBSL New Orleans/ Miss Gulf Coast from 4-6 PM & 1590 AM KKAY Baton Rouge from 4-5 PM or listen online from 4-6 PM at www.kkay1590.com.

An email Thursday evening from former Jefferson Parish President Tim Coulon over a sales tax referendum has sent shockwaves through the Jefferson political establishment—and may impact the already competitive race for Council District 5.

Coulon, who now serves as head of the Jefferson Business Council, sent a request to the Jefferson Parish Council on behalf of Sheriff Newell Normand to remove a ¼ cent sales tax from the April 4th ballot. Normand had up to Thursday of last week, in an appearance before the Alliance for Good Government, defended the necessity of an immediate sales tax vote, citing critical funding requirements for law enforcement.

Coulon described the change in strategy in the email to the Council by stating, "In preparation of an ordinance for council consider that actual spelled out the dedication of the proposed ¼ cent sales tax we noticed no reference in the ballot that related to the sales tax exemption for food and drugs."

"As you recall the exemption of food and drugs was a commitment by the Sheriff, Council and Business Community. After Several discussions with the Secretary of State's Office, it was discovered that the deadline for changes to the Ballot language had expired and the inclusion of the food and beverage exemption could not be added."

"Since we have sold the sales tax as food and drug exempt, the Business Community and the Sheriff are recommending that the Jefferson Parish Council at its February 18th meeting cancel the April 4th sales tax election."

What Coulon did not mention was the potential vote was causing extreme difficulty to the candidate he and Norman were supporting for the Council, Cynthia Lee-Sheng, the daughter of the current Sheriff's mentor Harry Lee.

When Councilwoman Jennifer Sneed retired from the District 5 seat a few months ago, Cindy Lee expressed her interest in seeking that office, and the allies of the former Sheriff, from his successor to Coulon to most of the Jefferson establishment lined up to support her candidacy.

Meanwhile, Norman sought to increase salaries and resources to his police officers, a popular cause, yet he did it in a fashion that drew some public opposition.

As reassessments drove up property values in Jefferson Parish, milliage rates automatically rolled back to maintain a consistent and level revenue amount. Most public bodies from the Jefferson Parish Council on down, then chose to leave them at the reduced rate, but the Sheriff used the authority of his office to roll them forward—back to the rate prior to the reassessments.

In other words, the amount of property taxes that most people paid for law enforcement increased—thanks to the higher assessed value of their homes. Norman's "stealth tax increase", as critics named it, was no different than the "roll forward" Harry Lee had done some years prior. Generally, even taxophobic Jefferson Parish is tolerant of taxation for law enforcement.

Then, Norman seemingly overstepped with the electorate.

The proposal seemed reasonable enough at first. Raise Jefferson Parish's sales tax to equal Orleans Parish's rate. Go up from 8.75% to 9.0 %. Most consumers, the argument went, would hardly notice a quarter of a penny. In fact, most retailers inadvertently--and often improperly--charged the difference as their cash registers automatically rolled up the totals to the nearest penny.

Norman intended to use the money to increase police pay and purchase resources for the JPSO. A portion of the sales tax would also go to the Parish program of fighting blighted housing, an increasing problem as Jefferson turned from suburb to urban area with the associated problems.

While the Jefferson Business Council was on Norman side, as was Parish President Aaron Broussard, people in the business community began to worry about the sales tax's potential impact on large scale purchasing. Jefferson hosts a disproportionate number of car dealerships and big box retailers, for many reasons, but in large part because the lower sales tax drew consumers from surrounding parishes.

It was a point that Councilman At-Large John Young, himself a former Assistant District Attorney and 20 year prosecutor, made when he voted against the tax. Council opposition was stronger than Norman reportedly originally expected. The vote approving the referendum on the tax was as narrow as they come, 4-3.

Cindy Lee-Sheng, revving up her campaign, could not oppose her closest ally and her strongest constituency. She decided to support the sales tax, but not discuss it during her campaign.

Her potential opponents saw an opportunity. As Lee-Sheng drew support from the political establishment, long-time Jefferson School Board member Martin Marino began to organize amongst his years long connections among civic groups and teachers. While he made no public statement against the tax, opposition to the measure was an undercurrent of his campaign.

Meanwhile, by late Friday, the eyes of the local political world were on State Senator Julie Quinn. As the legislator for a large chunk of the district from Bucktown to Old Metairie, she would have a formidable advantage monetarily and in name recognition. Quinn is uniquely position to galvanize public opposition to the sales tax into a major campaign issue against Cindy Lee.

That is, if the sales tax returns to the ballot in time for the May 2nd runoffs rather than the April 4th primary. Norman and Coulon are asking the Jefferson Parish Council to remove the sales tax from the ballot and make modifications to exclude taxation on food and prescription drugs.

The Council likely will remove the measure from the ballot, but if the votes remain the same, with Councilman Young and his faction opposing any sales tax, but a narrow majority supporting the measure, the sales tax could be back on the ballot in time for May 2nd.

This would provide a huge advantage for any opponents of Cindy Lee. Quinn, if she runs, already has the voters of the most conservative part of the district as her constituents in Old Metairie. Marino's in Central Metairie are hardly less taxophobic.

At the February 18, 2009 meeting, the Jefferson Council will be faced with the choice of delaying the sales tax ballot by a month or indefinitely. The status of the Lee Campaign promises to be factor in the considerations of her allies on the Jeff Council.

\
Christopher Tidmore is back on the radio. He hosts the Political Roundtable on Gulf Coast Today on 1190 AM WBSL New Orleans/Miss Gulf Coast from 4-6 PM and 1590 AM KKAY Baton Rouge from 4-5 PM. Call in your responses to this article at that time, 504-483-1761---

or listen online from 4-6 PM at www.kkay1590.com.

More Articles