In a split vote, the St. Tammany Parish Council has approved the parish's 2026 operating budget, funding major investments in infrastructure projects but also making significant cuts to some criminal justice agencies and the parish's mental health hub, Safe Haven.

The $202 million spending plan approved Thursday night comes after a budget process that was not nearly as contentious as last year's , but was still laden with frustration. While it includes $53 million in investments in roads , bridges and drainage projects, it also slashes funding for the northshore judges, the jail and the criminal division of northshore District Attorney Collin Sims' office by 30%. Those cuts are a product of the dwindling revenues the parish has available to fund some of the criminal justice function

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