Copyright Baton Rouge Advocate
Two weeks from tomorrow, East Baton Rouge Parish residents will vote on the Thrive EBR plan, made up of “Parish Propositions 1, 2, and 3” on the Nov. 15 ballot. These proposals do not impose new taxes, but simply renew what voters have previously approved. Thrive EBR is a parish-wide partnership between the East Baton Rouge Library System, Council on Aging, Mosquito Abatement and Rodent Control and the city-parish. Essentially, Thrive EBR has two parts: the renewal of all three millages, and the rededication of a portion of each to the city-parish’s General Fund. All three agencies fully support the plan and will maintain the same services our citizens expect. In terms of the renewal portion of the proposition, the library’s millage has been renewed at 11.1 mills every 10 years since the initial vote in 1985, most recently in 2015. It is important to note that the library millage expires in December; if this vote fails, they will not have any new funding for all of 2026. The Council on Aging was approved at 2.25 mills in 2016 and mosquito abatement’s secondary millage was approved at 1.0 mills in 2006. Those millages expire at the end of 2026. The rededication portion of the proposal involves balancing the budget by paying off $52.4 million of debt and providing $4.5 million a year for the stormwater master plan. A full list of these projects can be viewed at stormwater.brla.gov. Residents across the parish know the importance of stormwater mitigation, especially in the aftermath of the 2016 flood. These projects will reduce flood risk for the whole parish. Together, these rededicated funds and money saved from paying off debt would generate about $26 million. However, this plan alone will not solve our budget problems, so my administration has prioritized streamlining operations to cut waste. Efforts such as refinancing sewer bonds, maintaining a hiring freeze and adjusting retiree health benefits are expected to save about $21 million. Those cuts, combined with the added resources from the Thrive EBR plan, are how we will balance the budget in 2026. Thrive EBR has broad support — including all 12 council members, the mayors of Baton Rouge, Central, Zachary and St. George, both the East Baton Rouge Republican and Democratic parties, the Baton Rouge Union of Police, the Baton Rouge Professional Firefighters Association and the AFL-CIO. I can’t recall another measure or candidate endorsed by both political parties. For many years, East Baton Rouge Parish residents endured substandard parks and lackluster libraries. However, several decades ago, our residents saw the need for improvement and made strategic investments to our libraries and parks. Today, the EBR library system and BREC stand out as two of the greatest strengths of our parish. These two entities rose to the challenge with visionary leadership and a long-standing financial commitment from our residents. Now, our parish is dealing with crumbling and outdated infrastructure as well as mounting debt. That same investment that resurrected our parks and libraries decades ago is now feasible with the Thrive EBR plan as it sets the table for financial stability and stronger infrastructure. On Nov. 15, voters across the parish will see three separate millage proposals on the ballot. There will be no mention of “Thrive EBR” — it’s simply the name we've used to brand this initiative. I ask that residents support the renewal of these three millages — and help our parish thrive for years to come.
