Jefferson Parish voters on the West Bank overwhelmingly approved a renewal of the property tax that helps fund the region’s levees and pump systems, reversing their rejection of the same millage earlier this year.

The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West (SLFPA-W), which oversees levees and pumps in parts of Orleans, Plaquemines, Jefferson and St. Charles parishes, said the renewed tax will allow the agency to continue raising and armoring levees, maintaining floodgates and keeping critical storm-surge defenses ready for the next hurricane season.

About 81% of West Bank voters had signed off on the tax Saturday with all 97 precincts reporting. Turnout for the proposition was just 7%. 

“Voters’ support for this renewal continues to fund essential work that keeps our levee system strong and storm-ready without interruption,” said SLFPA-W Regional Director Jesse Noel. “From levee lifts to major maintenance on our gates and pumps, every part of our 80-mile system has to work 100% when a storm threatens, and this funding gives us the means to stay prepared.”

The tax, set at 4.75 mills, will run from 2028 to 2037 and is expected to generate about $6.5 million in its first year, though that figure could fluctuate as property values change. For a homeowner with a $275,000 house, roughly the median home value in Jefferson Parish, the cost is about $8 per month.

The millage accounts for roughly half of the agency’s budget. Its passage assures continued funding for maintaining 80 miles of levees and flood walls, 67 floodgates and three closure complexes, including the massive Gulf Intracoastal Waterway West Closure Complex.

The win comes after voters rejected the same millage on March 29, a ballot that also featured four constitutional amendments pushed by Gov. Jeff Landry, all of which were voted down amid a coordinated “vote no” campaign. SLFPA-W Board President Scott Burke said he believed the levee agency became “collateral damage” during that election.

“Our community has seen the system perform exactly as it’s designed to do during Hurricane Ida and other serious events,” Burke said. “And today’s vote allows us to maintain that level of reliability.”

To date, the millage has funded more than $23 million in levee height increases, a recurring need as sea levels rise and levees sink in Louisiana’s soils.

Noel said the renewal won’t eliminate the need to seek federal dollars, but it gives the authority a stable funding base. “We continue to pursue additional revenue sources such as federal appropriations,” Noel said previously. “But those funding sources are needed in addition to this millage renewal.” 

Unlike the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East, which oversees flood protection on the east bank, SLFPA-W has largely avoided political controversy in recent years. The East Bank agency has been roiled by mass resignations on its board, and has drawn criticism from lawmakers for expanding the role of its small police force. The West Bank agency does not have a police force, and its sole focus is on reducing the risk of catastrophic storm surge flooding. 

Burke said the renewed millage will help the agency sustain its reputation.

“This decision ensures we can continue to lift and armor levees, maintain our flood walls and floodgates, and keep all three closure complexes ready for the next major storm,” he said.