As the leading voice of business in St. Tammany Parish, representing 1,100 area businesses and their 37,000 employees, St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce consistently stays informed about issues that affect the quality of life in the parish and its attractiveness to new and continuing businesses. The Chamber’s Board of Directors, after careful consideration, recently voted to endorse and support the recall of St. Tammany Parish Coroner Christopher Tape and encourages members to support and sign the recall petition circulating throughout the parish.
After taking office on March 25, 2024, following an election where he had no opponent, Dr. Tape decided to unilaterally discontinue the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program which provided a first-class response system to a delicate, traumatic experience claiming it was a “business decision.” This action followed prior allegations calling his integrity into question. The issues have become widespread, caused many parish and state elected officials to call on Dr. Tape to resign, and resulted in local and national news media coverage.
“Our Chamber board considered the information and research provided, engaged in lengthy discussions and believes it is in the business community’s best interest to support the coroner recall,” stated Chris Abadie, 2024 Chamber Board Chair “This coroner is responsible over both death investigations and the mental health of persons and, as such, should be held above reproach, especially in matters overseen by his office.”
“We encourage our members to sign the recall petition,” said Chamber President and CEO Lacey Osborne. “The website RecallTape.com is the best place to find locations throughout the parish to sign the petition.” The website also provides updated information about the recall effort.