For those keeping score, add a new tax for BREC to the list of planned tax increases

BREC has a $100 million annual budget. No way in hell I am voting to give them more.

Last elections BREC had a massive cash surplus due to their desicated taxes and entrance fees. If they have/had a massive surplus, why do they need more money?

I will say that BREC is the best run organization in EBR parish

Edit: What LSUBoo said

And rest assured, even if they get their tax increase they are still going to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of their budget on a donation drive.

The majority of voters in EBR, who happen to not own property and don’t pay taxes, think this is a great idea. Good thing they are mad at BREC for moving the zoo (RACIST!) and will vote against this.

But when the Mayor hits with her massive tax package you better believe the COA will be bussing them to the polls. My single biggest gripe with our political system is that non property owners can vote on property taxes. fricking bullshite.

From the people that brought you the EBRCOA - here’s your new tax!

No loop
No lane widening
No real jobs
No public schools highly rated


Man they must have some shite in the air clouding peoples judgement in that neck of the woods

Related to BREC, I like where they are proposing the new zoo assuming they can keep the exhibits from flooding and offer adequate parking. Would have been nice if it were closer to downtown, but I'm okay with where they are putting it.

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but I'm okay with where they are putting it.

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Even if it cost millions more to put it there due to storm mitigation, engineering issues, etc???

You'd like to think they'd locate it in a high area, centrally located to the citizens who are going to pay for it, and not adjacent to a neighboring parish who won't pay a dime to build it.

And then you have the problem of how do you replace the current park if you remove those facilities to build a zoo.

[quote]Would have been nice if it were closer to downtown[/quote

I guess they think one zoo Downtown (the legislature) is enough.

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You'd like to think they'd locate it in a high area, centrally located to the citizens who are going to pay for it, and not adjacent to a neighboring parish who won't pay a dime to build it.

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They claim that they can get sponsors to supplement the funding if the zoo is in a more visible location. The problem is finding that location.

It's easy to demand things, but look at the choices they have. Un-floodable pieces of land large enough to host
a massive new zoo with room to grow and with frontage on major highways in the center of town are next to impossible to find in Baton Rouge.

They'll either have to prep a piece of land like the one they are going to use, or they'll have to pay to demolish/re-purpose some other site (like one of the many under-utilized golf courses or the Cortana site).

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adjacent to a neighboring parish who won't pay a dime to build it.

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People from all over the region will pay admission to visit a nice zoo. The zoo will depend on both sponsors and patrons to maintain the quality of their exhibits. The facility's ability to attract more paid visitors has to be considered when choosing a site.

That's a huge problem with the current location. Baton Rouge metro and the zoo's market is growing in the opposite direction. Spending a fortune on a nicer, larger zoo at that current location is a huge risk.

I would like it to be in the I-10/I-12 split area or even somewhere downtown, but there isn't anything really available there that's large enough for what they want to build.

And IMO the quality of the amenity and it's ability to attract visitors is more important than it making north Baton Rouge happy.