Jason Zuckerman - Mandeville City Council at Large

10/18/2026

Lots happening and some big announcements coming... recent legislative changes, current issues on the table, and 2028 elections are just around the corner....

The 2028 election is coming up faster than we know it....as most of you know, I will be finishing my second term as your At Large Council Member and cannot seek this office for a third term....  

09/06/2026

My beautiful fiancé Jaylen loves these little guys. She keeps hummingbird food on the stove—and I wonder why there’s always a pot sitting there that needs to be put away! 😂

I’m usually moving too fast to notice the little things. But watching this tiny visitor enjoy a simple meal on our porch is a good reminder to slow down every once in a while and appreciate the beauty of God’s gifts all around us.

09/06/2026

https://www.jzcouncilatlarge.com

On February 5, Judge Brandon Long dismissed with prejudice the final remaining claim brought by Woodward Harbor, LLC/LSU Health Foundation against the City of Mandeville over Succette. For me, that ruling represented more than the end of another battle over massive development on Mandeville’s Lake...

08/31/2026

08/30/2026

What’s better than a Sunday afternoon on our beautiful Lakefront visiting all our favorite places…?!!

08/30/2026

What a great afternoon yesterday! I am truly humbled by the incredible support and friendship. Thank you to everyone who came out. Thank you so much Cayman Sinclair & Aperitif for the incredible hospitality & food!

My message yesterday was simple:
I’m not done working for the citizens of Mandeville.

I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish in 2026—and especially proud to have turned issues I’ve fought for into actual results.

I continued my fight to protect Mandeville’s lakefront from high-density development. I authored and pushed through three important changes to our land-use ordinance. All three received unanimous recommendations from the Planning & Zoning Commission and unanimous approval from the City Council.

I put fiscal policy in place for Mandeville’s future. I authored legislation that, for the first time, established BY LAW a minimum projected General Fund balance, along with clear targets for how much the City SHOULD maintain. Those protections will help safeguard taxpayers and promote responsible budgeting for years to come.

I pushed for cuts in the upcoming budget to keep it structurally balanced. I was the only Council Member to propose specific budget cuts to offset an increase from the Mayor's proposed cost-of-living increase for our employees while preserving the structurally balanced budget presented by the Mayor. We still exceeded the projected target General Fund Balance I just mentioned by approximately 15%!

And “The Berm” between Lakeshore Drive and Sunset Point I fought to redesign and fund was actually BUILT! I worked hard to move that project from an idea that had stalled for years to a completed project. Today, it is finished and will help restore and protect the wetlands that provide an important natural buffer for our shoreline.

Those are just some of the accomplishments I’m proud of. But I’m not even close to finished.

There are several major issues I intend to tackle next:

• Realigning our sales taxes and restricted funds. We must apply the same fiscal discipline I brought to the General Fund to each of our restricted funds—determine how much we actually need to maintain in each, then address how our sales taxes should be realigned so we aren't unnecessarily overfunding restricted accounts with your tax dollars. Done properly, this could relieve pressure on the General Fund and potentially REDUCE the tax burden on Mandeville citizens.

• Returning to a living shoreline. I will continue pushing Mandeville toward a living-shoreline approach to reduce nuisance flooding, restore habitat and bring life back to our lakefront. And I will fight proposals to raise our seawall which would fundamentally change the character of our Lakefront and our community.

• Fixing our water and sewer rate structure. Our utility fund continues to operate at a deficit and borrow from the General Fund. The changes put in place last year, after years of work, did not accomplish what was intended. There’s no shame in acknowledging that something didn’t work—but there would be in failing to fix it. I’ve already taken the lead on another attempt by authoring a Resolution to authorize the Mayor to engage a different firm to help us get this right, now that we have a full year of data. That process will begin shortly.

So my message coming out of yesterday is this:

I’ve accomplished a lot for Mandeville just since the beginning of this year—but there is much more I intend to accomplish. I’m not done.

I will continue working hard, building consensus and delivering results for the citizens of Mandeville—protecting your tax dollars, preserving our character and quality of life, and safeguarding this incredible place we are fortunate to call home.

Thank you again for the tremendous support yesterday. We have a lot more to tackle, and I’m committed to getting it done for us all.

08/28/2026

Very proud of Representative Carver and thankful for his friendship and his support of/partnership with the City of Mandeville.

Honored to be named the St. Tammany Chapter’s Legislator of the Year by the Alliance for Good Government.
I’m grateful for the recognition and for the Alliance’s longstanding commitment to good government and an engaged community. It’s a privilege to serve St. Tammany and work every day for a stronger Louisiana.
Thank you for this special honor! ⚜️

08/28/2026

Tonight, the City Council passed Mandeville’s FY 2026–27 Budget by a 4-1 vote.

Many thanks to Mayor Madden and his administration for presenting an incredibly sound and fiscally responsible budget. Their work made the Council’s job much easier this year.

The budget we passed is structurally balanced, meaning recurring revenues fully cover recurring operating expenses. After considerable discussion, the Council also approved a 2.8% cost-of-living increase for our police officers and City employees, while making a few minor adjustments elsewhere to ensure the budget remained structurally balanced with a small cushion.

Additionally, this budget is projected to result in an end of year General Fund Balance that exceeds the highest target set in my recently passed Resolution 26-25 by approximately 15%.

With this year’s budget behind us, I believe there are two important long-term structural issues we need to address:

1. Rising employee benefit costs. We need to explore responsible long-term changes that protect our current employees and their compensation, while allowing reforms to be phased in over time as new employees join the City WITHOUT affecting current City employees.

2. The continued overfunding of several restricted funds. Balancing the General Fund will become increasingly difficult as the costs of personnel, insurance, goods, and services continue to rise faster than recurring General Fund revenues, while some restricted funds continue to accumulate excess revenue year after year and balloon into excessive fund balances.

I believe we need to seriously consider restructuring how our sales tax revenues are allocated. Done properly, this could relieve pressure on the General Fund and potentially even reduce the overall tax burden on our citizens. This discussion is particularly urgent because all of the City’s sales taxes—which generate approximately 90% of City revenue—are scheduled to expire in the coming years and must go before the voters for renewal regardless.

Thank you again to Mayor Madden, his administration, and my fellow Council members for getting this year’s budget done. Most importantly, thank you to the people of Mandeville for the opportunity to serve you.

08/27/2026

This evening the Council completed its review of both the FY 26/27 operating and capital budgets proposed by the administration.

This year’s budget is structurally balanced, meaning recurring expenses are fully covered by recurring revenues. The projected year-end General Fund balance not only exceeds the minimum established by my recently adopted Ordinance 26-16, but also exceeds the fiscal policy goals established by my recently adopted Resolution 26-25.

With one last budget hearing to go, the Council has yet to propose any reductions to the FY 26/27 budget presented by the administration, but actually proposed approximately $250k in additions. Those proposed amendments will be debated tomorrow night.

We have one final budget meeting tomorrow, August 27, at 4:00 p.m., followed by the expected vote at our Regular Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m.

Many thanks to Mayor Madden and his administration for presenting a solid, lean and fiscally responsible budget. Their work made the Council’s job much easier this year, and hopefully after tomorrow night we can turn our attention to other important business facing the City.