NEW ORLEANS — On Saturday, New Orleans voters gave a resounding “No” to Sheriff Susan Hutson’s proposed property tax increase.
Voters didn’t just say, “no” to Sheriff Hutson’s request for a property tax increase.
They said, “Hell no!” — by a 10 to 1 margin, 91% against to just 9% in favor.
Hutson admitted afterward she didn’t do enough to convince voters she needed the money to run the city’s long-troubled jail.
That’s not the only takeaway from Saturday’s vote. The jail has very real needs, but you can’t take voters for granted. Hutson’s current millage runs for two more years, so she has time to regroup.
Next time, she needs to start early, be transparent with how she spends what she already has, why she needs more, and exactly how the additional money will be spent.
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