INDEPENDENCE — The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office is asking voters to approve a three-quarter cent sales tax to help boost deputy pay and add more law enforcement staff across the parish.

Sheriff Gerald Sticker spent the day at the Piggly Wiggly in Independence talking directly with residents and shoppers about his “Funding the Future” plan. Customers were surprised to see the sheriff near the front door, ready to answer questions about the proposed tax on this month’s ballot.

“I’m just giving them real world examples of what this, this three quarters of a cent, does for them,” Sticker said.

Sticker says the tax would allow the department to hire 50 additional deputies and provide livable wages for current staff, as well as the equipment necessary for patrol cars and officers.

In March, a similar tax failed by just over 500 votes, a measure that would have raised nearly $25 million for the sheriff’s office. Sticker says many residents were simply unaware it was on the ballot.

Sticker says the revised proposal addresses one major complaint: the tax would no longer be permanent. While it still raises the same $25 million, the funding would expire in 10 years if it isn’t renewed.

“There were a lot of people that were otherwise supportive of it, but on principle, they just would never vote for a tax in perpetuity,” Sticker said.

Residents say they appreciate the sheriff’s face-to-face approach.

“Sheriff coming around and getting out and about with the community and everything, it’s a good thing to do,” one resident said. “The crime is just too much. We need to get more control of the grant group.”

Sticker says his goal is to give deputies the pay and tools they need to protect a growing parish.

“Almost 64% of the parish elected me to do a job, and I just asked them to now come alongside me and help equip me to get this job done that I promised to do,” Sticker said.

Speaking to customers, Sticker said many asked for better response times and additional sub-stations in rural areas. He says if the tax passes, the department would be able to extend its reach and better serve residents across Tangipahoa Parish.