Jefferson parish voters said yes to a millage increase dedicated to public teacher pay. In New Orleans, voters renewed a millage that funds the Audubonn Commission, but with changes that spreads the money to more public greenspaces and provides, for the first time, city funding for New Orleans City Park.
The Jefferson votes means teachers will get an averag $3,300 boost in pay. Other pay escalators will kick in based on school conditions, like being chronically underperforming or chronically understaffed.
The new tax, which will cost homeowners $79 for every $100,000 in home value, is expected to raise $29 million per year. The millage is subject to the homestead exemption.
New Orleans voters agreed to a 20-year renewal, starting in 2021, of a millage that has helped Audubon pay off bonds that paid for zoo improvements and the Aquarium of the Americas. Only now, Audubon will split the money with City Park, New Orleans' Parks and Parkways Department, and the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission.The millage rate will not change, so property owners will see no difference on their taxes.