Justice System

BGR Reviews Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Tax Proposal

OVERVIEW This On the Ballot report studies the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s proposed property tax increase that New Orleans voters will decide on April 29, 2023.

Better Governance Can Improve New Orleans’ Jail and Sustain Reforms

OVERVIEW BGR’s report highlights how a more cooperative relationship between the Orleans Parish Sheriff and the City of New Orleans is essential to end more than 50 years of federal oversight of the jail and sustain recent performance gains.

BGR Studies District Attorney Sales Tax on St. Tammany Ballot

OVERVIEW This On the Ballot report provides St. Tammany voters with background and analysis of an April 30, 2022, proposition to authorize the District Attorney to levy a 0.14% sales tax to fund the office’s criminal prosecutions in the parish....

BGR Examines St. Tammany Sales Tax on November 13 Ballot

OVERVIEW On the Ballot: St. Tammany Parish Sales Tax Proposition, November 13, 2021, provides St. Tammany Parish voters with an independent analysis of a proposed 0.4% sales tax to provide funding for the state-mandated responsibilities of parish government. These...

Analyzing Past New Orleans Budgets to Guide Funding Priorities

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.

BGR Analyzes Jefferson Parish Property Tax Renewals

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...

On the Ballot: St. Tammany Parish Tax Renewals

OVERVIEW BGR examines the March 24, 2018 propositions asking St. Tammany voters to decide whether to renew two separate parishwide sales taxes for the parish courthouse (the Justice Center) and the parish jail, which is operated by the St....

2017 Candidate Q&A Election Series: New Orleans

Overview For the October 14, 2017 primary elections in New Orleans, BGR provided voters with its 2017 Candidate Q&A Election Series. BGR submitted questions to all mayoral and City Council candidates on public safety, infrastructure and other important public policy...

BGR Reviews Tax Propositions in Orleans, St. Bernard

Overview BGR analyzes proposed property taxes for the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Law Enforcement District, the New Orleans Public Library system and the Lake Borgne Basin Levee District in St. Bernard Parish. Voters in New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish...

Right-Sizing the Courts: A Defeat for Transparency

Overview This release discusses the Louisiana Supreme Court’s refusal to hear BGR’s lawsuit seeking public access to the records and meetings of a committee charged with re-assessing the number of judges needed at each of the state’s courts. The...