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How East Baton Rouge voted on each local ballot measure

Voters take to voting booths on Election Day.
Edmond Dantès
/
Pexels / Canva
Voters take to voting booths on Election Day.

People in Baton Rouge took to the polls Tuesday to vote for president, mayor and a number of local ballot measures. Here are the results for each measure.


Voters against restructuring city government 

Fifty-nine percent of residents voted against a proposal that would have made hundreds of changes to the parish’s Plan of Government, a set of governing rules that determine everything from zoning jurisdictions to certain checks and balances for city officials.

The proposal would have made the parish's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), second in command to the mayor, City-Parish Manager and changed some of their responsibilities.

Now they'll be able to retain those responsibilities, which include managing day-to-day city services, policy advising, and fostering communication between the Mayor-President and Metro Council. And the position will continue to be appointed directly by the Mayor.

The proposal would've also changed residency requirements for elected officials, the budgeting cycle, and would've allowed Metro Council to set its own salary. Instead, council members will receive a fixed stipend of $1,000 a month.


Firefighters will get a raise 

People in Baton Rouge voted in favor of a proposal to add 6 mills to the current 5.56 millage rate to generate more tax revenue to go toward East Baton Rouge firefighter salaries.

The increased property taxes will amount to an additional $50 for every 100,000 of assessed property value.

It's expected to generate $14.5 in revenue in year one, all of which will go towards firefighters' salaries and benefits.

At a starting salary of $33,207 a year, firefighters in East Baton Rouge Parish get paid around 20% less than the industry standard in Louisiana. Union President Jake Morgan said this has caused many of his colleagues to leave for other parishes.


More tax dollars for park system 

Residents have voted in favor of two proposals that will provide additional funding for the Baton Rouge Recreation and Commission (BREC), a commission of unelected officials that operate and maintain over 180 parks throughout the parish.

Proposal 1 is 3.253 mills, a 20-year tax that funds “Imagine Your Parks”, BREC’s 10-year master plan. It is a continuation of a 20-year tax passed in 2004 and renewed again in 2014 that was used to finance the creation of 12 large city parks, the city’s zoo, and restoring LSU lakes. The projects helped earn BREC a gold medal distinction for the best large city park system in the country.

Corey Wilson, superintendent of BREC, says money from the 3.2 mills will go towards upgrading outdated facilities as part of the next iterations of “Imagine Your Parks.” The plan is centered around equity and investing in historically underfunded areas, he said, including the creation of a 13th community park on Airline Highway and a shift away from high-cost facilities.

Proposal 2 is 6.2 mills, a 10-year property tax that has been on the books in some form since 1974. Wilson says the revenue will be split between standard operations and capital improvements.

The ad valorem taxes are expected to generate $55 million in the first year, about 65% of the commission’s budget. They will cost a household earning $200,000 a year with a homestead exemption of around $118 annually.

Aidan McCahill is general assignment reporter for WRKF and WWNO. He covers a wide range of stories in South Louisiana, often finding himself down bizarre rabbit holes.