Were Public Resources used to Campaign Tax?

Staff Report

RECORDS RELEASED HOURS BEFORE ELECTION RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT POLICE JURY’S ROLE IN ROAD-TAX CAMPAIGN

Four police jurors identified as contributors or pledgors; secretary sent pro-tax billboard artwork during recorded working hours; audit shows most road funding comes from other sources

FARMERVILLE, LA – Monday, November 2, 2026. With Union Parish voters preparing to decide a 12-mill road-tax proposition Tuesday, documents obtained by The Gazette late Monday afternoon raise questions about whether taxpayer-funded employees and government resources were used to support the campaign urging voters to approve the tax. The Gazette requested the records last Wednesday under Louisiana’s Public Records Law. The newspaper began receiving documents at approximately 4:32 p.m. Monday, with additional records arriving afterward. The production includes employee time records, campaign invoices, contribution records, correspondence involving the Police Jury’s secretary-treasurer, and text messages concerning statements published on the Police Jury’s official Facebook page. Police jurors have maintained that no public funds were used to promote passage of the tax. While private contributions appear to have financed the campaign mailing, the records also document involvement by Police Jury personnel and use of official government communications systems. The question is whether the assertion that no public money was spent accounts for compensated employee time and publicly funded resources.