LIVINGSTON PARISH – A proposed 1% sales tax that would give parish school faculty a raise failed at the polls after the Mar. 25 election.
The proposed sales tax would have put a one-cent tax on every dollar spent in the parish, excluding groceries, gas, and prescriptions with the money going toward raises for teachers and school faculty.Â
“We’re losing our educators to our surrounding districts,” said Livingston Parish School System Superintendent Joe Murphy. “We have six districts around us, and we rank absolutely sixth in pay.
“I lost 12 teachers to Tangipahoa Parish this year. Twelve. I’ve lost multiple teachers to Ascension. I’ve lost my teacher of the year to Central in Zachary,” Murphy said.
The proposed tax was certainly divisive—signs all around the parish urged voters to vote ‘no’ on the Mar. 25 ballot. In the end, the tax ultimately failed, as with 77 of 79 precincts reporting ~46% voted for and ~54% voted against.
Updated results as compiled by the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office for Saturday’s election can be found here.
Read the statement from school Superintendent Alan Joe Murphy below.Â
Dear Livingston Parish Voters,
I know the past few months have been a difficult time for the people of Livingston Parish, as we have grappled with the issue of adding a 1-cent sales tax to some purchases in order to benefit our school teachers and staff.
It is my hope that our parish can heal from any division that may have occurred during this election, and that other options to improve the wages of our school professionals may present themselves in the near future.
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