LIVINGSTON — Denham Springs voters Tuesday approved adding a 6.75 percent sales tax on stays at motel rooms within the city limits as a way to boost salaries for police officers and firefighters.

Critics said the move would leave Livingston Parish's largest city with a hotel tax comparable to those in much-larger cities, like San Francisco. Its supporters said that using a tax typically used to promote tourism to pay salaries was appropriate, given that improved public safety could promote visitation and tourism.

The sales tax was expected to bring in a half-million dollars a year.

Parishwide, voters again rejected property tax to fund the health unit and animal shelter. A similar proposal, at 2.5 mills, failed last year. The 2-mill property tax proposed this year would have brought in $1.2 million a year for the next decade. Complete but unofficial returns showed it failing by about 1,660 votes.

Every voter in the parish was also asked to rededication one-quarter of a penny sales tax toward jail operations. The remaining money would remain in the Livingston Parish road programs. The tax raises about $19 million a year, so diverting a quarter of it would amount to just under $5 million. It passed by less than 2 percentage points.

In other contests, Republican Jeremy Aydell was elected mayor of French Settlement, while Livingston elected Randy Dufrene (R) as chief of police.

“There are always things you can improve. I'd like to grow the department. Our goal is to try to get more officers hired in the field. we need them right now. We have a good crime rate here but we want to stay on top of it, so we need to hire more officers, so that's one of our main goals. just keep my men happy and rolling,” Dufrene said.

Walker elected David Addison (R) as chief of police. 

"My plan is to continue the good law enforcement that we've been providing the citizens of Walker for the last eight years. I've increased our training tremendously and hopefully the city-council will see fit to give me more money in my budget. I'm going to raise the salary of my officers," Addison said.

Also, Robert Seals Jr. (R) held a 21-vote lead over Taylor Hubert (R) with all precincts reporting unofficial results in a School Board District 2 race.

Tracy Girlinghouse (R) and Scarlett Milton Major (R) won seats on the Walker council, while Republicans "Nate" Alexander, James "Jimmy" Nesom, Holly Rogers, Joey Sibley and Robert "BJ" Stewart were elected aldermen in Livingston.

Port Vincent elected Aslyn Andrews (NP), Elda "Hootie" Carter (NP) and Jenny Fontenot (R) as aldermen, and David Clark (R) was elected to the Walker City Council from District 2.