HAHNVILLE – The St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne has authorized a 3.75-mill tax proposal on July 16 to generate $2.7 million for salary increases for all employees and related expenses.

The Sheriff’s Office has “lost 87 employees to higher paying jobs with other agencies and private industry since January of last year,” said Sheriff Champagne.

The related expenses include employment taxes, pension benefits, overtime and hospitalization insurance.

The last time voters approved a tax increase for the law enforcement of St. Charles Parish was 25 years ago. St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office does not receive sales taxes.

The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office “will continue to lose trained and experienced deputies unless salaries are increased as soon as possible,” said Sheriff Champagne.

According to information provided by the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, in the past nine years starting salary for deputies was raised from $16, 800 per year to $26,084 per year. Despite the increase they are still losing employees to higher paying jobs with other agencies and private industry.

The deputies left took a total of 268 years combined experience with them. Included with the loss are four deputies and three experienced detectives, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The millage proposition will increase the current salary approximately 15 percent to 30,140 per year.

This will close the gap and make the pay more competitive.

The proposition will result in property owners who’s property has an assessed value of $100,000 will pay $9.38 more per year.

If assessed at $150,000 the amount paid will be $28.13 more per year.

Those whose homes assessed at $200,000 will pay $46.88 more per year.

There will still be homestead exemption for homes assessed at or under $75,000.