This issue of the BGR Outlook on Jefferson examines the Jefferson Parish School Board’s finances. The 16-page report analyzes the factors leading to recent operating budget deficits and discusses potential solutions.
OVERVIEW Today, BGR sent a letter to the mayor and the New Orleans City Council urging greater planning and public reporting for the City of New Orleans’ use of its primary financial reserve. The City Council’s budget committee is meeting tomorrow, May 23, to consider more than $73 million in appropriations from this reserve, called […]
OVERVIEW In this letter to the Jefferson Parish Council, BGR recommends ways in which the council can improve planning and public reporting for one-time spending made possible by the receipt of federal pandemic relief funds through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). In June 2022, the council allocated the Parish’s $84 million of ARPA funds […]
OVERVIEW In this report, BGR explores how the City of New Orleans has deployed pandemic relief funds it received through the federal American Rescue Plan Act, and what impacts this unprecedented one-time money had on City finances and budget priorities.
OVERVIEW In this On the Ballot report, BGR analyzes a new 7-mill, 10-year property tax for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office on the April 30, 2022 ballot.
OVERVIEW This report is intended to help New Orleans voters make an informed decision on whether to approve a new 5-mill, 20-year property tax dedicated to programs and capital investments that provide childcare and educational opportunities for children who have not yet entered kindergarten.
OVERVIEW In this release, Handle with Care: Public Planning and Accountability Must Guide Spending of Federal Relief Funds, BGR offers guidance to government entities on harnessing the opportunities presented by unprecedented federal funding to spur recovery from the pandemic’s economic, fiscal and health impacts.
OVERVIEW On the Ballot: Jefferson Parish Water and Sewer Taxes, March 20, 2021 provides voters in Jefferson Parish with analysis of two property tax propositions to replace existing water and sewer system taxes. Although the propositions will appear as separate items on the March 20 ballot, BGR analyzed them together because of their similarities. The […]
OVERVIEW This week, the Orleans Parish School Board will consider three policy changes that would strengthen NOLA Public Schools’ financial accountability measures and support the district’s financial sustainability. The changes address financial oversight of closing charter schools, public funding returned from closed schools and the district’s use of its General Fund reserves. The proposed policies, […]
Overview On the Ballot: Jefferson Parish Inspector General Tax Renewal, November 3, 2020 is intended to help voters in the unincorporated areas of Jefferson Parish make an informed decision on whether to renew a 10-year, 0.5-mill property tax dedicated to the Office of Inspector General and the Ethics and Compliance Commission. While the tax is […]
OVERVIEW Welcome to the inaugural edition of PolicyWatch, a periodic newsletter that draws on BGR’s body of independent, nonpartisan research to address current public policy issues. This edition focuses on the City of New Orleans’ finances as it faces a pandemic-induced budget deficit. It discusses the City’s proposal to borrow up to $100 million as […]
OVERVIEW Learning Curve: A Guide to Navigating School Funding in New Orleans’ Unified District presents a comprehensive explanation of K-12 public education funding since the unification of the city’s school system under the Orleans Parish School Board.
OVERVIEW As the City Council reviews the proposed $722 million 2020 operating budget, BGR Now: A Framework for Assessing New Orleans’ Proposed 2020 Budget outlines key findings of BGR’s recent City budget study to help inform citizens and policymakers. BGR’s study, A Look Back to Plan Ahead, analyzes growth in revenues and changes in expenditures […]
Overview On the Ballot: New Orleans Bond and Tax Propositions, November 16, 2019 studies three propositions to let the City issue bonds for capital improvements, levy a new tax for maintenance, and levy a new tax on short-term rentals. If voters approve, the City of New Orleans would be able to: Issue up to $500 […]
Overview A Look Back to Plan Ahead: Analyzing Past New Orleans Budgets to Guide Funding Priorities reviews a decade of City General Fund budgets. It also lays a foundation for examining potential opportunities to reallocate revenue to critical needs.
Overview Questions for a New Parish Council is the second in a two-part 2019 Candidate Q&A Election Series providing the views of candidates for Jefferson Parish government on important public policy issues, such as tax dedications and contracting. Questions for a New Parish Council provides voters with the candidates’ answers to 16 questions developed from […]
Overview Questions for a New Parish President is the first in a two-part 2019 Candidate Q&A Election Series providing the views of candidates for Jefferson Parish president on important public policy issues affecting Parish government. Questions for a New Parish President provides voters with the candidates’ answers to 16 questions developed from BGR’s body of […]
Overview The report analyzes a May 4, 2019 tax proposition in Jefferson Parish for a new 7.9-mill tax to fund pay raises for teachers and other school employees. The new tax would run for 10 years, beginning in 2019. It is expected to generate $28.8 million in the first year. If voters approve the tax, […]
OVERVIEW Today BGR releases three reports on Jefferson Parish tax renewals for drainage works, juvenile services, and animal shelter and health services that voters will consider on November 6, 2018. If approved, each tax would be renewed for 10 years, from 2021 to 2030. On the Ballot: Jefferson Drainage Property Tax Renewal Voters in Jefferson […]
OVERVIEW This On the Ballot report reviews a constitutional amendment on the November 6, 2018 ballot that would allow eligible homeowners to phase in an increase in property taxes resulting from a reappraisal. The four-year phase-in process would apply only to residential properties subject to the homestead exemption that increase in assessed value by more […]
OVERVIEW BGR examines the April 28, 2018, proposition before voters on the west bank of Jefferson Parish to approve a new property tax for the West Jefferson Levee District. This is the Levee District’s second attempt at a new tax to cover the increased costs of raising and armoring levees and maintaining pump stations. The […]
Overview BGR’s On the Ballot report examines the proposed 10-year property tax millage to provide additional funding to increase the pay of Jefferson Parish School Board teachers and other employees.
Overview BGR’s On the Ballot report examines the proposed amendment on the November 18, 2017, ballot to establish the Savings Fund of the City of New Orleans in the City’s home rule charter.
Overview BGR’s On the Ballot report analyzes the proposed 10-year renewals of three existing property taxes for New Orleans public schools that voters will decide on October 14, 2017.
Overview BGR examines propositions on the October 14, 2017 ballot for 10-year renewal of two existing property taxes to operate and maintain Jefferson Parish’s public transportation system. The report examines a number of issues related to Jefferson transit, including route inefficiencies identified in a Regional Planning Commission study and challenges connecting with public transit in […]
Overview BGR’s On the Ballot report examines the proposition on the April 29, 2017 ballot for 10-year renewal of an existing property tax for Jefferson Parish public libraries.
Overview BGR studies four dedicated taxes up for renewal on the December 10, 2016 in Jefferson Parish: a sales tax for parish sewerage, road and drainage projects, law enforcement and municipal governments in Jefferson; and three property taxes for parish drainage, recreation and public schools.
Overview In One Plus One: The Dual Authorizer Structure and the Future of New Orleans Schools, BGR seeks to inform lawmakers and the public about the charter authorizing structure in Orleans Parish and the potential risks that accompany a diminished role for the state in charter management. The report is the second in a series […]
Overview In School Board Takes a Key Step Toward Better Stewardship, BGR commends the Orleans Parish School Board for taking steps to preserve the bulk of its $45 million operating reserve for the benefit of the system as a whole. It also calls on the School Board to take additional steps to improve its financial […]
Overview BGR analyzes two property tax propositions meant to sustain west bank flood protection systems and three proposed St. Tammany charter amendments before voters on November 21, 2015. The tax propositions include a new tax for the West Jefferson Levee District and a tax renewal for the Algiers Levee District in New Orleans. Both levee […]
Overview BGR reviews a proposed property tax for the upkeep of public school facilities in New Orleans and 11 propositions to amend the Jefferson Parish charter that voters will decide on December 6, 2014. The charter propositions relate to: Modifying the Jefferson Parish Council’s authority to investigate parish affairs Limiting the outside employment of the […]
Overview In On the Ballot: October 19, 2013, BGR explains, analyzes and takes positions on three tax propositions on the ballot in Jefferson Parish and two proposed charter amendments in New Orleans, one of which would reform the Sewerage & Water Board. The Jefferson tax propositions are renewals of property taxes for the Jefferson Parish […]
Overview In The Accidental Steward: The Orleans Parish School Board as a Resource Manager in the Reform Era, BGR examines the Orleans Parish School Board’s performance as the financial steward for New Orleans’ unique, heavily charter school system.
Overview In On the Ballot: November 6, 2012, BGR examines three proposed constitutional amendments, two propositions pertaining to multiple parishes in the New Orleans area, a proposed change to the City of New Orleans charter and two local tax propositions. The three constitutional amendments would strengthen gun rights, provide an additional homestead exemption to spouses […]
In this edition of Now, BGR calls on the Louisiana Board of Elementary & Secondary Education (BESE) to tighten up the proposed criteria and accountability system for school participation in the State of Louisiana’s voucher program, called the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program.
Overview In Making Choice Right: Can Private School Vouchers Live Up to Their Promises? BGR examines the statewide school voucher program that the Governor is proposing, as well as the pilot program that has been in effect in New Orleans since 2008. It makes recommendations to lawmakers, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education […]
Overview BGR examines charter amendments, tax propositions and state constitutional amendments on the October and November 2011 ballots. The October 22 ballot includes a Jefferson Parish charter amendment to establish the Office of Inspector General and an Ethics and Compliance Commission, as well as a related property tax to fund both entities. It also includes […]
Overview In this letter to the Orleans Parish School Board, State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), and the Recovery School District (RSD_ Superintendent, BGR joins with seven local business and civic organizations to ask the school districts to go back to the drawing board on proposed amendments to New Orleans’ School Facilities Master […]
Overview On the Ballot: Jefferson Parish, April 30, 2011 examines four proposed tax renewals. One is a sales tax renewal for the Jefferson Parish Public School System. The other three are property tax renewals that support Jefferson Parish drainage, juvenile services, and a combination of the Parish’s animal shelters and public health facilities and the […]
Overview On November 24, BGR sent a letter to the Mayor and City Council on the proposed 2011 budget for the City of New Orleans. The letter contains suggestions that would free up millions of dollars.
BGR analyzes 10 State constitutional amendments on the ballot for November 2, 2010. The amendments concern a wide variety of issues, including: Salary increases for elected officials Allocation of State of Louisiana severance taxes Property tax exemption for disabled veterans Limiting tax increases for non-elected taxing authorities Extending the period following a disaster for retaining […]
Overview In The Price of Civilization: Addressing Infrastructure Needs in New Orleans, BGR provides information on New Orleans’ core infrastructure needs – including streets, the systems of the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans, schools and the Orleans Parish jail – and assesses the community’s capacity to fund those needs.
Overview In Forgotten Promises: The Lost Connection Between the Homestead Exemption and the Revenue Sharing Fund, BGR examines the decline of the State of Louisiana’s funding mechanism for compensating local taxing bodies for the costs of the homestead exemption. The report provides date on compensation for New Orleans, Jefferson Parish and St. Tammany Parish.
Overview In Managing Innovation: Models for Governing the System of Public Schools in New Orleans, BGR and Tulane University’s Cowen Institute present five potential models for governing public schools in New Orleans’ decentralized system and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Overview With the primary on the way, BGR submitted questions to all mayoral candidates on topics in four areas: the city’s budget, city services, infrastructure and blight. Four candidates – Rob Couhig, John Georges, Mitch Landrieu and James Perry – responded. BGR is presenting the Q&A to the public in a web-only, four-part series, Questions […]
Overview BGR examines two property taxes for public transit up for renewal by Jefferson Parish voters in the April 4, 2009, election.
Overview BGR provides analysis of local propositions as well as amendments to the state constitution appearing on the ballot for November 4, 2008. A proposition in New Orleans would amend the city charter to make comprehensive changes to planning and land use decision making in the city. A proposition in Jefferson Parish would expand the permissible […]
Overview BGR’s release, School Facilities Plan Leaves Financing Questions Unanswered, examines the financial component of the School Facilities Master Plan for New Orleans. See also: BGR’s public comment letter BGR’s letter in The Times-Picayune
Overview On the Ballot: Orleans Parish School Tax Renewals provides an overview of four New Orleans school property tax millages up for voter renewal on July 19, 2008. The taxes support basic operations and maintenance, among other needs.
Overview This release calls on the City of New Orleans to conform to charter requirements in producing its capital budget, which is developed by the mayor and reviewed by the New Orleans City Planning Commission and City Council.
Overview This release raises concerns about proposed budget approvals for the New Orleans Office of Recovery Management’s plans in advance of a public vetting of those plans. New Orleans recovery planning process following Hurricane Katrina requires transparency and public input.
Overview In Budgeting in a Time of Crisis: A Review of the City of New Orleans’ 2007 Budgets, BGR examines the City’s operating and capital budgets for 2007, the second fiscal year following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Overview BGR analyzes three tax propositions to go before voters in Jefferson Parish on March 31, 2007. The propositions would renew property taxes levied parishwide or in large portions of the parish that provide funding for the public schools, recreation and drainage.
Overview On September 30, Louisiana voters were asked to approve 13 constitutional amendments. This report focuses on those that are amendments relevant to Greater New Orleans in four arenas: coastal restoration and flood protection, expropriation, the homestead exemption, and unfunded state mandates. In addition, BGR provides an expanded discussion of the proposed amendment on expropriation, […]
Overview BGR and the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, Inc. (PAR) have issued a joint report calling for a full appraisal of financial options for local governments in fiscal crisis, including municipal bankruptcy.
Overview BGR analyzes two of four state constitutional amendments that will appear on the November 2, 2004, ballot. The two amendments would modify the homestead exemption and the veterans’ preference to apply for civil service positions. In addition, BGR provides voters in New Orleans with information on a proposed $260 million bond issue and Jefferson […]
Overview BGR analyzes a property tax renewal for the Jefferson Parish Public School System, considering the taxpayers’ investment and its importance to the school system.
Overview In this report, BGR predicts tight financial times ahead for Jefferson Parish Government. What can the Parish Council and Parish President do about it? This report offers an array of options for keeping the parish coffers filled.
Overview Among the propositions on the ballot for October 4, 2003, are three constitutional amendments relating to coastal restoration, and another providing for the possible state takeover of failing public schools, many of which are in New Orleans. BGR analyzes these four amendments, along with two local propositions. The Jefferson Parish ballot proposition would increase […]
Overview This report examines the history and current state of the operating budget and compares revenues and expenditures, including salaries, for the City of Harahan, a municipality in Jefferson Parish. The report includes information on comparable Louisiana cities.
Overview This edition of BGR’s Outlook series discusses the financial challenges facing the Jefferson Parish Public School System and the current academic performance of its schools.
Overview In this report, BGR reviews the four proposed changes in the Louisiana constitution that voters will decide on November 7, 2000. The amendments would: (1) authorize the state to establish a corporation to be the state’s principal economic development organization (Louisiana Inc.) and to exempt it from civil service; (2) change state individual income […]
Overview This issue of the Outlook series examines the capital budget process of the City of New Orleans and critiques the implementation of the 1995 voter-approved building program.
Overview This issue of Outlook updates the fiscal status of the Jefferson Parish Public Schools with a focus on the revised FY1999 and the adopted FY2000 operating budgets.
Overview BGR provides an overview and status report on the Orleans Parish School Board’s new management information system and the computer networking project to bring the Internet and other educational resources to the classroom.
Overview BGR examines four dedicated property tax millages on the ballot for renewal in Jefferson Parish. Voters will decide the proposed renewals on March 27, 1999. All four of the propositions provide for the continuation of basic services such as public transit, recreation and fire protection at existing authorized millage levels.
Overview This edition of Outlook provides an overview of Jefferson Parish Government and the Parish’s fiscal outlook, including final general government revenues and expenditures between 1988 and 1997, and an examination of the 1999 Jefferson Parish adopted budget.
Overview This is the first report in BGR’s Outlook series on the Orleans Parish School Board. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the Board’s fiscal outlook with a focus on the FY 1999 (July 1, 1998 through June 30, 1999) operating budget.
Overview In this issue of Outlook, BGR focuses on one specific area of Jefferson Parish Government—the public works function, which manages streets, water, sewer, drainage and other infrastructure. The purpose of this report is to provide a brief overview of how this department is organized, where it receives its funding and how it spends its […]
Overview This report reviews the City of New Orleans’ property service charge proposal on the ballot for December 5, 1998. The primary intended uses of the new revenues include pay raises for most City employees and for all Orleans Parish public school employees.
Overview This report provides a short analysis of the potential creation of three separate neighborhood-based special tax districts in New Orleans and a recommendation on two proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution relative to the governance of higher education. The neighborhood districts will provide additional funding for enhanced security and in some cases, beautification and […]
Overview This report provides a synopsis and short analysis of all 18 proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution on the October 3, 1998, election ballot. The topics include assessment freezes for senior citizens and properties undergoing restoration, as well as parish severance tax allocations and remediation of blighted property: Establishes community college system Increases parish […]
Overview This issue of the BGR Outlook on Jefferson examines the Jefferson Parish School Board’s finances. The 16-page report analyzes the factors leading to recent operating budget deficits and discusses potential solutions.
Overview This report analyzes professional services contracting practices by five area school boards in Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes.
Overview This report is the fourth in BGR’s program of governmental oversight and monitoring of Jefferson Parish governments. This report provides updated budgetary information on the Parish Council, District Attorney and Sheriff.
Overview This is the first in a new series of reports highlighting the finances of Jefferson Parish local government. It provides an overview of parish general-purpose government revenues and expenditures over the past ten years and comparison of current-year operating budget.
The New Orleans City Council is set to vote Thursday (May 25) on a plan to spend tens of millions in city surplus dollars on city vehicles, affordable housing and assorted other projects as well as the last $54...
Standing before a gymnasium full of angry residents at the Avondale Playground in October, Jefferson Parish Council member Byron Lee made a pledge. “If you need uniforms, call my office,” he said. “If you need playground equipment, call my...
NEW ORLEANS — From the Bureau of Governmental Research: In an April 28 letter to the Jefferson Parish Council, BGR recommends ways in which the council can improve planning and public reporting for one-time spending made possible by the receipt of...
In an April 28 letter to the Jefferson Parish Council, BGR recommends ways in which the council can improve planning and public reporting for one-time spending made possible by the receipt of federal pandemic relief funds through the American Rescue Plan...
Today, the Bureau of Governmental Research hosted a Breakfast Briefing with Dr. Avis Williams, Superintendent of NOLA Public Schools. BGR presented the event free to the public, thanks to our sponsor First Horizon Bank. Click below to watch a...
NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans East is getting some much-needed funding for some big projects. Councilman Oliver Thomas announced on social media this weekend that extra cash from the American Rescue Plan Act will be heading to New Orleans...
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – As residents complained about garbage left to rot on the streets for weeks, the company contracted to collect that trash in several neighborhoods was pleading with the city of New Orleans to fully pay the...
When the New Orleans City Council passed a massive, $262 million amendment to the 2023 budget in the waning hours before a Dec. 1 deadline, local activists were surprised. There’d been no formal notice that Mayor LaToya Cantrell and...
NEW ORLEANS — From the Bureau of Governmental Research: On Dec. 13, BGR released a new report that shows how the City of New Orleans has used the first half ($194 million) of its federal relief funds to weather...
A new report from the local think tank the Bureau of Governmental Research analyzed how New Orleans has managed the $388 million in federal COVID relief funds it received through the America Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA. The central...
The Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) highlighted a new report on the City of New Orleans’ uses of its federal American Rescue Plan Act funds in a webinar on December 14 on Zoom. The federal government has provided state...
A new report from the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) takes a closer look at the impacts of the City of New Orleans’ federal pandemic relief funds on its finances and budget priorities. Managing the Windfall: Tracking the City of...
Awards The Bureau of Governmental Research has received two research awards from the Governmental Research Association. BGR received a Certificate of Merit for Distinguished Research on a Local Government Issue for its method of analyzing local tax propositions in its “On...
NEW ORLEANS — From the Bureau of Governmental Research: BGR received two research awards from the Governmental Research Association at a national conference held last month in Philadelphia. In addition, BGR recently welcomed Melanie Bronfin as a new member of its...
The Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) recently received two research awards from the Governmental Research Association (GRA) at its national conference held last month in Philadelphia. In addition, BGR recently welcomed Ms. Melanie Bronfin as a new member of...
Voters in New Orleans on Saturday approved a property tax measure aimed at creating 1,000 or more early childhood seats for low-income children. Support for the 20-year, 5-mill tax ran at 61% to 39% with all 351 precincts reporting,...
Jefferson Parish residents voted Saturday to approve a 7-mill property tax increase that will generate an additional $28 million for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Joe Lopinto had pitched the tax increase as a way to bring in...
New Orleans voters will see just one item on Saturday’s ballot: a millage proposal to fund early childhood education. We break down what you need to know before you head to the polls. Dates, times and locations to knowElection...
Rebecca Mowbray and Paul Rioux of the Bureau of Government Research joined Newell to discuss why the JPSO tax proposition is something voters should support. Click here to listen: https://www.audacy.com/wwl/podcasts/newell-normand-20323/researchers-back-jpso-tax-proposition-1384034328 Click here for BGR’s report on the Jefferson Parish...
On the ballot for the April 30 election is a tax proposal from Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. “We were very eager to look at the proposal from the JPSO because Jefferson is the most populous parish in our region,”...
NEW ORLEANS — From the Bureau of Governmental Research: BGR has released a new report titled “On the Ballot: Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Tax, April 30, 2022.” The report is intended to help Jefferson Parish voters make an informed...
When Jefferson Parish voters head to the ballot box on Saturday, April 30, they’ll decide on a potential millage increase put forward by Sheriff Joseph Lopinto to fund the hiring of nearly 250 positions and pay raises for sheriff’s...
Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto’s proposed 7-mill property tax to fund employee raises has picked up the backing of the Bureau of Governmental Research, which agreed with Lopinto’s assertion that increasing salaries is needed to help the agency keep...
Today, the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) releases a new report, On the Ballot: Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Tax, April 30, 2022. The report is intended to help Jefferson Parish voters make an informed decision on whether to approve...
New Orleans voters are being asked this month to approve a property tax to create 1,000 or more early childhood seats for low-income children under age 4. Supporters cast the April 30 ballot proposition as a transformational plan to...
Voters in three area parishes are being asked to enact new taxes on April 30; early voting begins Saturday. We understand that it might seem odd to ask voters to raise taxes in 2022, when governments are bulging with...
NEW ORLEANS — From the Bureau of Governmental Research: BGR has released a new report intended to help New Orleans voters make an informed decision on whether to approve a new 5-mill, 20-year property tax dedicated to programs and capital investments...
Today, the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) releases a new report, On the Ballot: Early Childhood Education Property Tax, New Orleans, April 30, 2022. The report is intended to help New Orleans voters make an informed decision on whether...
Today, Governor John Bel Edwards joined the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) for a Virtual Breakfast Briefing to discuss his key priorities for 2022 and the potential impacts of new federal funding for Louisiana. Click here or on the...
After years of doing taxes the same way, Louisiana voters beginning Saturday are being asked to decide if the state should head in a different direction. Forty-three parishes, like Orleans, are choosing local leadership or deciding propositions, like East...
The City of New Orleans has received its first portion of federal pandemic relief funds through the American Rescue Plan. This historic federal investment will influence the City’s budget for the next few years. BGR recently discussed the need...
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The Governmental Research Association honored the Bureau of Governmental Research with two research awards at its July 19-21 virtual conference. The GRA also recognized the career achievements of BGR’s retired president and CEO Janet...
NEW ORLEANS – The City of New Orleans has received its first portion of federal pandemic relief funds through the American Rescue Plan. This historic federal investment will influence the City’s budget for the next few years. BGR recently...
NEW ORLEANS – The Bureau of Governmental Research has released guidance for government entities planning how to spend federal pandemic relief funds. The nonprofit watchdog said governments have “substantial flexibility” in spending the federal dollars, which creates a “rare...
The Bureau of Governmental Research today releases Handle with Care: Public Planning and Accountability Must Guide Spending of Federal Relief Funds. This BGR NOW offers guidance to government entities on harnessing the opportunities presented by unprecedented federal funding to...
On March 20, voters in Louisiana’s Second Congressional District will choose a successor to former U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, who now works as a top aide to President Joe Biden. Voters in state House District 82, which encompasses Old...
The Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) has a new report out about water and sewer tax propositions in Jefferson Parish, to be voted on in the March 20th election. Stephen Stuart is the Research Director at BGR, Susie Dudis...
JEFFERSON PARISH (WVUE) –The Bureau of Governmental Research Tuesday released a report highlighting two Jefferson Parish tax proposals related to the parish’s water and sewer systems. The two propositions will appear on the March 20 ballot. The propositions will...
NEW ORLEANS – The Bureau of Governmental Research has released a new report expressing support for two Jefferson Parish tax propositions that will appear on a March 20 ballot. BGR said the report is intended to help voters in...
The independent nonprofit group Bureau of Governmental Research is backing two Jefferson Parish tax proposals, one for its water system and one for its sewage system, according to a report released Tuesday. The proposals are the parish’s plan to...
Today, the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) releases On the Ballot: Jefferson Parish Water and Sewer Taxes, March 20, 2021. The report is intended to help voters in Jefferson Parish make informed decisions on two property tax propositions to...
It’s been a busy week for the Orleans Parish School Board. During its last two meetings of the year, members rejected tax exemptions for the Folger’s Coffee Company, approved new accountability measures for charter school finances, received an update...
NEW ORLEANS – The Bureau of Governmental Research said it supports three policy changes being considered by the Orleans Parish School Board to strengthen NOLA Public Schools’ financial accountability measures and support the district’s financial sustainability. The changes address...
Today, the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) hosted a virtual Breakfast Briefing featuring Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng. She discussed “Leading Jefferson Parish Today and Tomorrow: Reflections on 2020, Managing the Pandemic, and Future Priorities.” Following her presentation,...
Today, BGR releases this BGR NOW supporting three policy changes up for consideration by the Orleans Parish School Board that would strengthen NOLA Public Schools’ financial accountability measures and support the district’s financial sustainability. The changes address financial oversight...
The four new members recently elected to the Orleans Parish School Board will shake up the system and chart a new direction for an organization that has been ruled in large part by outside influences since Hurricane Katrina. Representing...
Susie Dudis, BGR Research Analyst and author of our Learning Curve report, today joined New Schools for New Orleans CEO Patrick Dobard on the WBOK 1230 AM radio program “Talking NOLA Schools” for a discussion about public school funding...
Today, the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) hosted a virtual Breakfast Briefing featuring New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. She discussed “Looking Ahead to 2021: New Orleans’ Budget, Infrastructure and Policy Priorities” and then answered questions from the audience. BGR...
Even as it’s grown in popularity, I’ve never felt compelled to participate in early voting. I enjoy the ritual of walking to my local polling place, seeing neighbors and greeting the commissioners who show up year after year to...
NEW ORLEANS – In a new report, the Bureau of Governmental Research – a nonprofit watchdog group – recommends voters renew a 0.5-mill property tax dedicated to Jefferson Parish’s Office of Inspector General and the Ethics and Compliance Commission. BGR...
The Jefferson Parish Inspector General’s property tax renewal, which is on the ballot Nov. 3, got the thumbs up from an independent nonprofit Tuesday, when the Bureau of Governmental Research announced its endorsement. The .5-mill, 10-year property tax that...
Today, the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) releases On the Ballot: Jefferson Parish Inspector General Tax Renewal, November 3, 2020. The report is intended to help voters in the unincorporated areas of Jefferson Parish make an informed decision on...
Questions abound from New Orleans public school parents, students, employees and education leaders as the new school year gets under way and the pandemic persists. Just how safe will schools be once the initial virtual learning period ends? What...
Today, the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) hosted its first virtual Breakfast Briefing featuring John White, former Louisiana Superintendent of Education. Mr. White gave his “Observations in Response to a Year of Disruption and Change in Public Education” and...
Today, BGR released the inaugural edition of PolicyWatch, a periodic newsletter that draws on BGR’s body of independent, nonpartisan research to address current public policy issues. This edition focuses on the City of New Orleans’ finances as it faces a...
One of the fiscal consequences of the public health emergency for New Orleans K-12 public education is plunging sales tax revenue. Reduced national and global travel and the Louisiana’s stay-at-home order have upended many businesses, including those in the...
Like the rest of the community, our attention is focused on the threats posed by COVID-19. At the same time, our work concentrates on issues that are critical to the long-term welfare of our city and our mission compels...
The coronavirus outbreak and the efforts to slow its spread are set to levy a massive toll on the New Orleans economy, with the hospitality sector already seeing a sharp downturn in business and officials warning about likely cuts...
BGR President and CEO Amy Glovinsky and Vice President & Research Director Stephen Stuart talked about the 2020 Excellence in Government Awards program and a variety of issues related to local government in a live interview with Oliver Thomas...
Deputy clerks at Orleans Parish Criminal District Court can breathe a sigh of relief — at least for now. Clerk of Court Arthur Morrell said Monday that he has shelved his plan to furlough nearly all of his office’s...
The City Council has made a request to cut tax rates for property owners, and an agreement is under consideration. The plan is to move some individual millages around to prioritize infrastructure and public safety dollars over areas of...
As the New Orleans City Council reviews the proposed 2020 budget for the City of New Orleans, BGR presents here a collection of resources to help citizens understand the proposal in the context of recent City budget trends and...
Today, BGR releases BGR Now: A Framework for Assessing New Orleans’ Proposed 2020 Budget, which outlines key findings of BGR’s recent City budget study and connects them to the current 2020 budget process to help inform citizens and policymakers....
Today BGR releases On the Ballot: New Orleans Bond and Tax Propositions, November 16, 2019. The report analyzes three separate propositions that would authorize the City of New Orleans (City) to: Issue up to $500 million in bonds for...
Citizens in Orleans and Jefferson parishes who plan to vote in tomorrow’s election can inform their decisions with three BGR reports: On the Ballot: Housing Tax Exemptions in New Orleans, October 12, 2019 examines Constitutional Amendment No. 4, which...
Today, BGR releases A Look Back to Plan Ahead: Analyzing Past New Orleans Budgets to Guide Funding Priorities. The report reviews the City’s General Fund budgets from 2010 to 2019, focusing on growth in revenues and changes in expenditures. As...
Today, Trey Folse, superintendent of the St. Tammany Parish Public School System, presented at a BGR Breakfast Briefing entitled “Leading the Way for Student Success in St. Tammany Parish.” Mr. Folse’s presentation provided an overview of the school system...
Today BGR releases Questions for a New Parish Council, the second in a two-part report series providing the views of candidates for Jefferson Parish government on important public policy issues. Yesterday, BGR released the responses of the candidates for...
Today BGR releases Questions for a New Parish President, the first in a two-part series of reports providing the views of candidates for Jefferson Parish government on important public policy issues. Tomorrow, BGR will release the responses of the...
JEFFERSON PARISH, La. —Residents of Jefferson Parish voted to adopt a pay raise for teachers in the parish. A pay raise for all teachers at Jefferson Parish schools passed with nearly 80% of the vote. The proposition will raise...
With a new School Board, new superintendent and new goal to improve academic performance from a C grade to an A in five years, Jefferson Parish voters agreed Saturday (May 4) to raise property taxes for public education by $28.8 million. Approval with...
Jefferson Parish voters on Saturday resoundingly approved a new 7.9-mill, 10-year property tax to fund raises for teachers and other employees. The proposal from the Jefferson Parish School Board garnered 72 percent approval. In unrelated elections, the parish’s voters...
With broad backing of the parish’s leadership, including the business community and teachers unions at one time at odds, a new pay plan for Jefferson Parish teachers and school employees is a good proposal worthy of the support of...
Voters in much of the New Orleans area will head to the polls Saturday to consider mainly requests involving taxes, as a parks and recreation tax in Orleans Parish, a teacher pay tax in Jefferson Parish and a school...
Some very critical tax measures go before the voters on Saturday. Teacher pay raises and commitments to public greenspace and facilities in both Jefferson and Orleans. Even on the second Saturday of Jazz Fest, these millages are worthy of...
Lyndsey Jackson teaches deaf children ages 3 to 5 how to communicate, to treat one another with respect and to learn, so that they’ll be ready for kindergarten. She spends part of the day on the classroom floor at...
Maybe it’s poor timing, but the leadership of Jefferson Parish has an important tax proposal for teacher pay on the ballot just as the Legislature is contemplating a $1,000 raise for teachers from the state. The teacher pay raise...
VOTERS IN NEW ORLEANS AND JEFFERSON PARISH WILL GO TO THE POLLS ON MAY 4 — during Jazz Fest — to consider several important property tax millages. In New Orleans, the sole item on the ballot is the proposed renewal...
JEFFERSON PARISH, La. —Voters in Jefferson Parish will soon decide if they want to pay more in property taxes to fund teacher pay raises. The property millage is on the May 4 ballot. The proposition would raise teachers’ pay...
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – In less than a month, Jefferson Parish voters will be asked to approve a property tax increase for teacher and support worker pay raises, though some voters are wondering why the tax is drawing support...
A nonpartisan research group is urging New Orleans and Jefferson Parish voters to support two tax measures that will be on the May 4 ballot. The private Bureau of Governmental Research announced Tuesday that it has endorsed a measure...
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – In a new report released Tuesday morning, the Bureau of Governmental Research weighs in on a proposed tax to give Jefferson Parish teachers pay raises. The BGR report comes down in favor of the proposal...
The Jefferson Parish public school system’s $28.8 million tax increase was endorsed Tuesday (April 9) by the independent Bureau of Governmental Research, which called it a “well-developed” proposal to make teacher pay competitive with other local school systems. The property tax...
Jefferson Parish’s proposed 7.9-mill public schools tax landed a significant endorsement Tuesday, when the Bureau of Governmental Research backed the measure. The tax, which will appear on the May 4 ballot, would generate nearly $29 million a year in...
Today, BGR releases On the Ballot: Jefferson Parish School Tax Proposal, May 4, 2019. The report analyzes a May 4 tax proposition in Jefferson Parish for a new 7.9-mill tax to fund pay raises for teachers and other school employees....
Governor John Bel Edwards presented at a BGR Breakfast Briefing on State of Louisiana priorities of local importance. BGR expresses its appreciation to Governor Edwards and to our attendees for their presence and participation in the Q&A that followed...
There will be several proposed changes to the state constitution on the ballot next Tuesday. One of them, Amendment 6, is meant to ease the blow of a sudden increase in property taxes. That’s something experienced by many people...
Jefferson Parish voters will take up three parishwide tax renewals when they go to the polls Nov. 6, while voters in Grand Isle and parts of the west bank also will vote on taxes for their local fire departments....
Today the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) releases reports to inform voters on proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 6 and three proposed Jefferson Parish property tax renewals. Tax Phase-In Constitutional Amendment On November 6, 2018, voters statewide will decide whether...
Update: A clarification was added to this story to indicate that municipal taxes were not factored in the Louisiana Tax Commission’s rankings. Three parishes in metro New Orleans were in the Top 10 with the highest property tax rates among...
Dr. Cade Brumley, the new superintendent of the Jefferson Parish Public School System, addressed a BGR Breakfast Briefing on his first 100 days and his plans for the future. This Breakfast Briefing was sponsored by IBERIABANK. Watch the highlights...
Voters on the west bank of Jefferson Parish on Saturday overwhelmingly approved a new property tax that will fund critical maintenance work on the federal levees that protect the area from flooding. After rejecting a similar tax proposal in...
When it comes to taxes, essential services have to be paid for, and one of them in Louisiana more than almost anyplace else in the world is flood protection. But a property tax millage for flood protection in West...
The Times-Picayune editorial board makes the following recommendation for Saturday’s (April 28) election. JEFFERSON PARISH WEST JEFFERSON LEVEE DISTRICT PROPOSITION To increase property taxes by 4.75 mills for 10 years for maintenance of the flood control system Yes The Southeast...
Today the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) releases On the Ballot: West Jefferson Levee District Property Tax, April 28, 2018. On April 28, voters on the west bank of Jefferson Parish will decide whether to approve a new property tax for the...
Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr., reviewed his first three years as superintendent of the Orleans Parish Public Schools. The BGR Breakfast Briefing was sponsored by IBERIABANK. Watch the highlights on BGR’s YouTube Channel: Watch the full video: Breakfast Briefings fulfill...
The Jefferson Parish School Board most likely will ask voters for a tax increase next spring to fund teacher pay raises and facility upgrades, but just how much of a hike has yet to be decided. At its meeting Tuesday (Dec....
METAIRIE, LA (WVUE) – Jefferson Parish School Board members are debating which way to go next after voters narrowly defeated a measure that would have raised teacher pay. The Jefferson Parish School System is drawing more students in recent years, thanks in...
Just days after Jefferson Parish voters narrowly rejected a new property tax to fund a pay raise for public school employees, School Board members are gearing up for new tax proposals they hope to put before voters in the...
Jefferson Parish School Board member Cedric Floyd said Tuesday (Nov. 21) that he wants voters to reconsider an 8.45-mill property tax that was rejected on Saturday. The tax, estimated to generate $27 million a year, would be dedicated to teacher and...
There are several issues and races on the ballot throughout south Louisiana for today’s election, including a statewide contest to pick the next treasurer and a high-profile race for mayor in New Orleans. We urge everyone to go to...
New Orleans voters have agreed to create a safety net for the city’s finances, establishing a “rainy day” fund with a charter change that gained citywide approval Saturday (Nov. 18). The city will be required to set aside for emergencies...
Jefferson Parish voters on Saturday narrowly rejected an 8.45-mill, 10-year property tax that would have paid for salary increases for school system employees, tossing aside arguments that the parish’s teachers need to be paid more to make the system...
Jefferson Parish voters narrowly rejected a new 8.45-mill property tax Saturday (Nov. 18) that school officials requested to boost teacher pay. With more than 41,600 votes cast, the tax was rejected by a margin of 484 votes. The tax was proposed...
In 7 1/2 years, together with the City Council and the people of New Orleans, we have righted the ship of government. Today, our financial house is stronger, going from a budget deficit to a budget surplus, and our...
Jefferson Parish schools are asking taxpayers to vote “yes” on Saturday to a new 8.5 mil property tax. The money would be used to give teachers and school employees their first across the board pay raise in 10 years....
The Jefferson Parish public school system is asking voters to approve a new 8.45-mill property tax on the Nov. 18 ballot that school officials say is needed to boost teacher pay. The tax would help increase the starting pay of first...
It’s been a rocky few months for the Jefferson Parish School Board: Longtime member Ray St. Pierre died, parents protested shifting attendance zones on the east bank, and board member Cedric Floyd tried to get Superintendent Isaac Joseph suspended....
Early voting begins Friday across the state for the Nov. 18 election, with the runoffs for New Orleans mayor and two city council seats drawing the most attention, along with a statewide race for treasurer and other local tax...
When Mayor Mitch Landrieu and a new City Council took office in May 2010, New Orleans was broke. The mayor and council took drastic measures to put the city’s fiscal house in order, and those tough choices have, for...
New Orleans voters opted to renew three property taxes that fund public school employee salaries, supplies and disciplinary programs. The three 10-year millages, which will continue at their current rates through 2028, were on the path to resounding approval...
On Saturday at the polls, voters will decide whether to renew three millages, or local taxes, that support the public school system. Voters have approved the millages each time they’ve appeared on the ballot since 1988. If voters approve...
The Times-Picayune editorial board makes the following recommendations for the Oct. 14 ballot. Early voting is open through Saturday, Oct. 7. ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD PROPOSITION A To renew a 1.55 mill property tax for textbooks for 10 years Yes...
The government agency overseeing Jefferson Parish’s two bus systems is sitting on a big pile of cash: $21.2 million. And parish officials want more. They’re asking voters Oct. 14 to renew two property taxes that fund the conventional fixed-route bus service and...
Voters throughout Jefferson Parish will be asked Saturday to renew the 6.5-mill property tax that funds the parish’s public library system, while River Ridge and a handful of Metairie voters will decide whether to pay more to become part...
BGR won two awards from the Governmental Research Association (GRA) at its national conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Tuesday, July 26, 2016. BGR won the award for Outstanding Policy Achievement for the report The Accidental Steward: The Orleans Parish School...
