Sheriff Hoping Voters OK Tax Renewal

BELLE CHASSE, La. (AP) — Voters in Plaquemines Parish will decide Nov. 16 whether to renew a property tax that provides a large chunk of funding for the Sheriff's Office.

The 6.57-mill tax — expected to generate about $6.4 million annually for a decade — makes up about 32 percent of Sheriff Lonnie Greco's budget.

Without it, Greco says, he would be forced to lay off nearly 60 deputies.

The millage has been in place for almost 30 years. Its authorization expires in 2014, and the renewal would take effect in 2015.