Parish President· January 2020 – December 2027 (month-level start: January 2020 per stpgov.org parish president page, first swearing-in January 2020 and second term from January 2024; month-level end: December 2027, same quadrennial cycle as the Council per stpgov.org 2026 Appointment Book)
Mike Cooper
St. Tammany Parish
No biography on file yet.
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Top issues during term (20)
NAMI and the Safe Haven campus funding crisis
NAMI provides about $1.9 million a year in services for free; the disputed rent is $165,000, under 1% of the $22 million deficit.
Townhouse and development moratoriums
Pauses new multifamily construction and the tax base it would add in affected districts.
December 'Keep St. Tammany Safe' sales tax proposition
A quarter-cent sales tax for five years, starting April 1, 2027 — costs shoppers a quarter per $100 spent.
Fill and grading standards for residential subdivisions (Ord. Cal. No. 8216)
No direct parish cost, but residents worry about well contamination and property values nearby.
Courts and District Attorney face 60% cuts
Court request of $3.4 million funded at $1.8 million; DA and jail cuts of roughly 60% each.
Parish jail conditions and funding shortfall
Roughly $14.5–15 million from the sheriff's general fund next year, plus mounting repair costs and $5 million in federal inmate revenue at risk.
New Acadian Ambulance services contract
No subsidy — the parish pays Acadian nothing to provide the service.
Impact fee update and refund provision (Ord. Cal. No. 8215)
Impact fees on a single-family home rise more than 27% under the update.
Coroner's DNA laboratory closure
Funded by reserves lasting until mid-2027 after the millage failed to renew.
Manufactured Home Minimum Size Standards
Stricter minimums could raise housing costs but improve neighborhood standards.
Coffee and bottled-water spending challenged
Roughly $40,500 in 2025 coffee spending and $39,000 in water spending parishwide, all under state contracts.
Lock No. 2 Bridge and Woodlands drainage land acquisition
Acquisition costs come from capital and drainage budgets already appropriated.
Planning and Zoning Commission vacancy filled
Property tax appeals — Board of Review
Appeals can lower individual property tax bills.
2026 budget amendments
Reallocates existing parish funds across funds and projects without raising taxes.
FY2026 millage rates and drainage funding
About $3.16 million a year in taxpayer savings, offset by less dedicated drainage funding.
Mosquito Abatement millage renewal
Saves taxpayers about $4 million a year versus the old max rate.
Helenbirg tract street dedications
Read-only access to parish financial systems for councilmembers
No direct cost stated; administration noted training staff takes months and the system covers roughly 100 funds.
H1 Associates Covington rezoning appeals (Highway 1077 corridor)
Developer projects homes in the upper-$200,000s to low-$400,000s, aimed at attainable housing; residents warn of rising flood insurance and infrastructure costs.
Decisions during term (141)
Recorded while Cooper was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.