Sheriff Susan Hutson’s tax renewal wins by historically close margin, two votes
By Joseph Cranney
Source: The Times-Picayune | Nola.com
May 3, 2025
By an almost surreal, historically close margin, Orleans Parish voters appeared to hand Sheriff Susan Hutson a huge reprieve Saturday, approving what Hutson described for months as a critical renewal of a tax that funds around a fifth of the jail’s budget.
The renewal of the decade-old Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office millage passed by just two votes, after more than 25,400 votes were counted, according to unofficial results.
Hutson’s measure had 12,715 “yes” votes, with 12,713 voting against.
The millage required a simple majority of 50% of the vote, plus one, to pass, so Hutson won with a single vote to spare, surely making it virtually the closest election in Orleans Parish’s history.
The Sheriff’s Office projects that the tax, once election results are finalized, would continue collecting around $13.1 million a year, or roughly 20% of OPSO’s operating budget.
“I want to thank every voter, supporter, and advocate who took the time to learn the facts and understand what the Safe and Strong Communities Millage means for our community,” Hutson said in a statement, which didn’t address the vote’s extremely thin margin.
“This renewal is more than just continued funding. It is a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to building a stronger, safer, and more just Orleans Parish,” Hutson added.
Hutson’s proposal was endorsed by the independent Bureau of Governmental Research and had the support of Hutson’s opponents in this year’s sheriff’s race.
But in the weeks leading to Saturday’s otherwise sleepy round of municipal elections, the OPSO millage became the target of a mysterious misinformation campaign, with “No New Taxes” signs cropping up around the city imploring residents to vote no.
The signs were misleading because the tax has existed for more than a decade and renewing it wouldn’t cause anyone’s taxes to go up. The signs also don’t disclose who made them.
Hutson quickly planted her own “Not a New Tax!” signs and did a round of interviews, trying to clear the record.
One sign that the spread of misinformation did have an impact: Hutson’s millage lost among early voters, though it was by a tiny margin.
“No New Taxes” signs cropped up around the city in the days before early voting started on April 19. Hutson planted her own signs about a week later, when early voting ended.
Early and absentee ballots went 51% to 49% opposed, a difference of about 230 votes. Hutson performed slightly better on election day, unofficial returns showed.
Overall turnout was just under 10%, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office.
The dramatic results Saturday come toward the end of Hutson’s rocky first term, during which she faced criticisms for her spending of public money and was accused by two former top deputies of retaliation.
Hutson also suffered an embarrassing defeat at the polls the last time she asked voters to approve a millage in 2023.
That proposal, which would have doubled a separate tax collected by OPSO, received just 9% of the vote.
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