The St. Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement District (STPMAD) announces the public release of an independent performance review conducted by The Balmoral Group (TBG), an economics and engineering consulting firm from Florida, to evaluate the District’s operations, resources, service delivery and performance.
Unlike annual financial audits, which assess financial accountability and compliance, this review was requested by the STPMAD Board of Commissioners to evaluate whether STPMAD’s Integrated Mosquito Management (IMM) services are appropriately scaled for St. Tammany Parish.
“The Balmoral Group worked in consultation with two independent mosquito control experts in the course of this review and found that STPMAD follows industry best practice standards for IMM and provides mosquito control services to residents as provided in state law,” states the report. “The district has demonstrated effective and efficient resource management, and it should carefully manage assets to maximize the benefit of the investments to the taxpayer.”
The review found that STPMAD provides comprehensive mosquito control services consistent with national best practices that are comparable to other mosquito districts. Further the report concurred with the Government Efficiency Committee that the District not be consolidated with other services or parish government entities to maintain stable funding in a time of increased threats of new mosquito-transmitted diseases.
“St. Tammany’s government agencies are actively looking for ways to build trust – we believe these independent third-party reviews are a positive step in that direction. This review gives our community an independent, third-party look at how the District operates, how we use taxpayer resources, and where we can continue to improve,” said Executive Director Kevin Caillouet. “We understand that you can’t solely take our word for it. This review needs to come from an independent source, relying on national experts in mosquito control, that can give an informed review. We are pleased that the review validated our science-based, integrated approach while also providing us with a clear roadmap for continued improvement.”
Review Finds Significant Community Value
TBG’s cost-benefit analysis found approximately $3.92 in community benefits for every $1 spent on STPMAD’s mosquito control program. Over five years, the analysis estimated $149.9 million in benefits against $38.2 million in costs, resulting in $111.7 million in net benefits.
The analysis considered benefits including quality-of-life and outdoor recreation impacts, avoided medical costs associated with West Nile virus illnesses, and expenses households might otherwise incur for private mosquito control.
“The cost-benefit analysis demonstrates that STPMAD provides value that extends beyond simply reducing mosquito numbers,” Commissioner Tod Klotzbach said. “Effective mosquito control helps protect public health and supports quality of life.”
Review Validates Integrated Mosquito Management
The report highlighted STPMAD’s Integrated Mosquito Management (IMM) approach, which uses data to guide treatment decisions. Strategies include mosquito surveillance, disease monitoring, source reduction, larval and adult mosquito control, insecticide resistance and efficacy testing, in addition to public education.
“Effective mosquito control is not simply about how much we spray from the aircraft and trucks,” Commission Chair Dr. Vicki Traina-Dorge said. “Our approach is centered on using scientific data that our knowledgeable STPMAD team generates and evaluates, to prescribe when and where a treatment will provide the greatest public-health benefit.”
Opportunities for Improvement
The review also identified opportunities to strengthen operations, including:
- Developing employee retention strategies
- Carefully planning helicopter use to maximize taxpayer value
- Continuing staff and board member training and professional development
- Expanding public outreach and education opportunities
- Consistently monitoring, documenting and reporting performance measures
“These recommendations are important because continuous improvement is a mark of responsible public service,” Caillouet said. “The report confirms that our core approach is sound, using scientific best practices, while also identifying specific areas where we can improve accountability and operational effectiveness.”
Report Available to the Public The complete performance review is available at www.stpmad.org. The Balmoral Group will present its findings at the STPMAD Board of Commissioners’ public meeting on October 21 at the District’s office in Slidell.