Funding crisis threatens future of St. Tammany Parish's coroner's office

St. Tammany Parish’s coroner says the office could run out of money for death investigations, mental health services and its DNA lab if new funding is not secured. The office is currently relying on surplus revenue from a tax measure that expired in 2024. A sales tax proposal on the December ballot could provide support; without it, Coroner Christopher Tape warned that investigations and evidence processing could be disrupted.