BATON ROUGE
MAYOR SID EDWARDS' PROPOSAL TO REDEDICATE LIBRARY FUNDS
Worried about the attempt to gut the library's budget in order to pay for more police? Confused about the process? Curious about what you can do?
Read on.
THE ISSUE:
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On Thursday, February 6, Baton Rouge Mayor Sid Edwards announced a plan to fund a pay raise for officers in the Baton Rouge police force. On the surface, this sounds like a good thing; in the Mayor's press release he states that it will "give officers the highest raise ever recorded; at least 15% and up to 41% depending on rank and current salary." Further, he asserts, the raise would "transform...BRPD officers from among the lowest-paid in the region to the highest-paid municipal force in the state of Louisiana."
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Great! There's only one problem, however: his plan calls for funding this proposal by gutting the public library.
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We've seen this time and time again in Louisiana: voters approve a millage (tax) to support the public library; politicians see that the library is a good steward of the taxpayers' money and decide to "raid the piggy bank;" those same politicians begin a campaign to cast doubt and mistrust on the library's honesty and fiscal responsibility; once they've smeared the library through misinformation and outright lies, they ask taxpayers to "rededicate" the library's funds to other urgent needs, like drainage or roads.
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It's happening in St. Tammany.
And now, using the exact same playbook, it's happening in East Baton Rouge.
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THE COUNTERARGUMENT:
​ 1) The claim: "Libraries in EBR Parish have accrued more than $114 million in budget surplus..."
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The Truth: The money in the library's budget is NOT a "surplus." It's a fund balance. Is there a difference? Yes, a big one: "surplus" money is revenue over and above what is needed; a fund balance, on the other hand, is money that has been earmarked for specific projects which have not yet started, including things like renovations, expansions, and development. The amount is so large because the library has a "pay-as-you-go" system - they don't ask for bonds or further burden the taxpayers, but save judiciously and spend wisely, without debt.
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2) The claim: "The library's fund balance has come from "years of overtaxation of citizens. "
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The Truth: The library carefully evaluates future needs as well as projected revenue in their millage renewal proposal. In fact, the library has called for a REDUCTION of the millage rate in the upcoming election: from the current rate of 11.1 mills to a proposed rate of 10.5 mills, the first such reduction in over thirty years. How did they arrive at this number? You can read a detailed explanation HERE. Until now, voters have trusted the library as good stewards of the money they are entrusted with, and the library has repaid that trust by delivering Baton Rouge one of the premier, award-winning libraries in Louisiana.
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What Can Be Done?
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1) This is coming up before the Baton Rouge Metro Council on Wednesday, February 12.
​The Agenda is HERE.
Item 25-00187 (line 11) is the introduction of Sid Edwards' rededication plan. As it is an introduction, you cannot comment on this item. The meeting with the vote that will have public comment will take place on March 12, 2025.
Item 25-00003 (line 76) is the library's millage renewal request.
​Go to the council's comment site HERE. You can also see the council's comment policy HERE.
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Fill out the form. You can specify the agenda items you support or oppose. If you want to support the library's ask, you can use this verbiage:
“I support the library’s proposition to bring a 10.5 mills tax renewal (reduced from 11.1 mills) to the voters in October.”
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2) Reach out to your councilman.
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You can find your councilman HERE.
If you oppose the Mayor's plan to bring a rededication of library funds before the voters, call or email to let them know that.
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3) Reach out to the mayor.
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You can find links to connect with him HERE.
If you oppose his plan to bring a rededication of library funds before the voters, call or email and let him know.
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We will keep you updated on developments as they happen.
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Any questions? You can reach us at louisianaagainstcensorship@gmail.com.