Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto is asking residents to consider a 7-mill property tax increase to provide raises for the Sheriff’s office. JPSO employees have not received a raise since 1992. Although I may be biased to the JPSO, after being the Sheriff for 10 years, Sheriff Lopinto explains the money is needed to keep his staff, and is long overdue.
What do you intend to spend these tax dollars on?
Salaries, salaries, and more salaries. The reality is we’re probably about 20% behind in our salaries. We’re competing with the private market and other local agencies. We are dealing with more technical skills now and people with those technical skills are getting paid handsome salaries in the private market. JPSO is always there for us, whether it's a hurricane or your teen's first car accident, this is our opportunity for our residents to be there for them. Hopefully, it will give me the opportunity to really give them the pay that they deserve. It really will affect everybody, from a correctional officer, a 911 operator, deputy on the street, and our clerical staff. I'm the only person in the department that won't be receiving a pay raise. There’s no way that I can give them the salaries that they deserve without us having more revenue the JPSO’s budget, which was $126 million last year. The total budget for the jail and policing in New Orleans is $255 million. We're just underfunded as an agency and need to be able to catch up.
When I was sheriff, my goal was to get Jefferson Parish below 10,000 UCR crimes. I never did, but y’all did.
They've done it the last two years. 2020 was the first time with 9,700 UCR crimes, which is the first time under 10,000. In 2021, we were at 8,500 UCR crimes. I think the public's perception is that crime is rising, and that’s not true in Jefferson Parish. Our crime trends continue to drop. Everybody knows everything today with social media. It only takes a few people to really create havoc… I'll give you an example with carjackings. We had a total of 16 carjackings last year. Fast forward to 2022 in January and February, there were 11. Nine of those were not far from my home. JPSO set up a taskforce, set up cameras and captured the man responsible in March. Jefferson Parish has had one carjacking since then. That guy was responsible for 92% of the carjackings in Jefferson Parish, I guarantee you, he is responsible for 30% of the ones in New Orleans.
What would the impact be on someone's property tax bill with this 7-mill increase?
The increase is seven tenths of a cent. Think of it this way, the first $100,000 your home is assessed at will cost Jefferson Parish homeowners $17.50 and then another $70 per additional $100,000 your property is assessed for. If your property is mortgaged or under escrow, you can divide that into your monthly payment. The mill increase would generate $28 million to give nearly 20% raises to our deputies on the street.
