Saturday, November 15, 2025

Early voting in St. Tammany Parish for the November 15, 2025 election runs from November 1 through November 8 (excluding Sunday, November 2). Hours are 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM each day.

Voter registration and election information can be found here.

Voters have the opportunity to continue funding the fire department at the level necessary to maintain daily operations and essential services. This 20-year millage will provide the Fire Department with the ability to plan for long-term capital needs, including new apparatus and station improvements.

Currently, you pay two separate millages that together total 34.95 mills.

We are asking voters to approve a single replacement millage in the same total amount—34.95 mills—to take the place of the two millages.

This does not increase your taxes. It simply combines the two existing millages into one, keeping the same total rate you already pay today.

An “In-Lieu” millage (short for in lieu of) is a property tax that replaces or consolidates one or more existing millages, without adding a new tax burden.

In Louisiana, this often happens when:

• Existing millages are set to expire. Instead of renewing them separately, they can be combined into one new “in-lieu” millage.

• The parish or district wants to simplify taxes. An in-lieu millage substitutes for the older taxes but keeps the total tax rate the same, so it doesn’t increase what taxpayers owe.

• It allows for longer-term planning. Voters approve a single millage (often for 10–20 years), giving the district stable funding to budget for operations, capital purchases, or improvements.

✅ It is not an additional tax ✅ It is replacing existing millages ✅ Citizens continue paying the same rate they already were

NO, This vote is not a new tax. It simply consolidates two existing millages into one, with no additional cost to our citizens.

We will continue to provide the outstanding and efficient service our citizens have come to expect. At the same time, these funds will allow us to make critical improvements in firefighting equipment and overall capability—ensuring we remain ready to protect our community today and into the future.

Voting YES renews the funding that keeps our gear and vehicles dependable, our department running efficiently, and it helps us guarantee the public's safety. A NO vote means stretching older equipment longer, which can risk reliability in an emergency, and cause efficiency issues.

Currently, 8 vehicles in our fleet have exceeded NFPA’s recommended age to remain in frontline service. Out of these, 3 vehicles have surpassed the NFPA retirement guideline and should be removed from service altogether.

The chart below illustrates not only the age of each apparatus but also the previous year’s maintenance costs, highlighting the financial impact of keeping older units operational.

This data underscores the growing need for apparatus replacement planning to ensure both reliability and fiscal responsibility.

Shall Fire Protection District No. 3 of the Parish of St. Tammany, Louisiana (the

“District”), levy a special tax of 34.95 mills (the “Tax”) on all property subject to

taxation in said District (an estimated $3,464,000 reasonably expected at this time to be

collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 20 years, beginning

with the year 2026 and ending with the year 2045, for acquiring, constructing, improving,

maintaining and operating fire protection and emergency medical service facilities,

vehicles and equipment, including both movable and immovable property, to be used by

the District in providing fire protection and emergency medical service, said tax to be in

lieu of and completely replace the current 34.95 mills comprised of: (i) a 9.94 mills tax

authorized to be levied pursuant to an election held on April 29, 2017 and (ii) a 25.01

mills tax authorized to be levied pursuant to an election held on April 24, 2021, provided

that a portion of the Tax proceeds is required to be contributed to state and statewide

retirement systems as provided in R.S. 11:82?

This millage will provide essential funding to support our daily operations while also giving our department the ability to invest in capital improvements, including new apparatus and upgraded facilities.

Over the past 10 years, St. Tammany Fire Protection District 3 has experienced a steady increase in call volume. To meet this demand, we have increased our daily manpower and committed to staffing two ALS ambulances each day.

As a result, the strain on our aging equipment has driven up vehicle maintenance costs, and our fire stations are in need of upgrades to ensure they remain safe, efficient, and supportive living spaces for our firefighters.

With the average home in St. Tammany Parish valued at $250,000—and with most homes eligible for the homestead exemption—this millage will cost homeowners just $1.68 a day.

That’s less than the price of a cup of coffee!

St. Tammany Fire Protection District 3 provides fire protection and Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance services to Ward 7, covering 45.7 square miles of the Lacombe community.

St. Tammany Fire Protection District 3 Coverage Area:

Do you live in District 3?

Click the link below and use the search button in the top left corner to look up your address and confirm your district.

• Keeps 911 response dependable. Renewal dollars replace worn trucks, radios, and protective gear on schedule so crews can get to you fast and work without equipment failures. (Faster, reliable response reduces damage and injuries.)

• Helps protect your insurance costs. Communities with better fire protection keep a better PIAL rating, which means lower insurance premiums.

• Increases our ability to meet NFPA safety standards. Firefighter gear, breathing equipment, and apparatus have required service lives (e.g., turnout gear and apparatus should be retired at 10 years according to NFPA.

While St. Tammany Fire Protection District 3 has a few reserve members and a support group called Hearts on Fire, STFD3 is a fully paid fire department. Each day, we staff 7 highly trained, professional employees. This staffing ensures that our community has access to two Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances as well as fire and rescue personnel.

While St. Tammany Fire Protection District 3 provides fire and EMS protection for most of Lacombe, some Lacombe addresses fall under Fire Districts 1, 4, or 7.

If your address is outside of our protection area, you will still receive a response from your local Fire Department along with Acadian Ambulance.

Do you live in District 3?

Click the link below and use the search bar in the top left corner to look up your address and confirm your district.

Property taxes are paid by owners of taxable property within the parish. That includes:

• Homeowners (for land, houses, improvements to land)

• Owners of commercial property

• Individuals or businesses owning personal property that’s taxable (machinery, equipment, etc.)

Who doesn’t pay (or pays reduced) property taxes?

• Homestead Exemption - If you own and live in your home as your primary residence, you can get a homestead exemption. This reduces the taxable value of your property by a set amount (so you only pay taxes on the value above that exemption)

• Senior Freeze / Special Assessment Levels - Certain elderly homeowners may have a “freeze” on the assessed value of their property meaning even if market value goes up, their assessed value for tax purposes doesn’t increase as long as certain criteria are met (age, income, etc.).

• Veterans & Disability-Related Exemptions - Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities may get additional exemptions or freezes.

• Nonprofit / Public Service Exemptions - Properties owned by certain nonprofits or used for public service (churches, schools, government) may be exempt from property taxes. The law provides for exemptions when property is specifically exempted under the constitution or state statute.