re: BR “Thrive” plan vote this November. Don’t get hoodwinked. Vote NO!

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But the parish received $165 million in federal ARPA money to supposedly fix our major issues, and we also pay sewer fees with our water bill. My one home is over $100/month. Multiply that times every home and business in the parish. And isn't drainage supposed to be supported using sales instead of property taxes anyway?

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Storm water management should be funded on a yearly basis. You can’t clean drainage arteries once every half century and keep up. It needs regular maintenance and if my taxes went for that I would be fine.

Sewer. That’s different. We are already paying a healthy tax and you are right. It doesn’t need more money.

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but in the past this means they will spend these revenues on BR services as well as parish services.

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The current dedicated taxes being reduced also pay for services within the BR city limits.

From Coach Edwards' remarks about the plan quoted in the OP's link:

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“Tonight’s vote by the Metro Council is an important step forward for East Baton Rouge Parish. I want to thank the Council for recognizing the urgent need to stabilize our budget, maintain critical services, and reduce long-term debt — all without raising taxes. The Thrive! plan is a fiscally responsible path forward that benefits the entire parish.”

Those re-dedications will result in a one-time infusion of $52.4 million that will be used to pay down debt, immediately putting the parish in a stronger financial position and reducing the burden on future budgets. In addition, a one-time payment of $6 million will be invested in parish-wide priorities such as critical infrastructure, drainage improvements, and public safety.

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As I recall Coach Edwards was and is a strong supporter of St. George. And it helped him defeat Broome-Hilda.

He is doing exactly what he promised to do.

So you're going to oppose him?!?

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But is money going to services that are just city services? I believe they are in this plan.

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And I believe you're being paranoid from years of being lied to by Broome-Hilda.

I believe Coach Edwards is different from her.

His plan won't cost St. George residents a penny more in taxes. And the DA, Sheriff and drainage projects (all parish wide service providers) will be better funded to benefit the entire parish.

Give him a chance to do exactly what he promised he'd do when you voted for him...

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The current dedicated taxes being reduced also pay for services within the BR city limits.

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Yes, but the point is to prevent parish funds to be used ONLY in the city limits. There is a history of this.

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but the point is to prevent parish funds to be used ONLY in the city limits.

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You just don't get it.

The parish taxes being proposed to be transferred ALREADY pay for some services in Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge is a part of East Baton Rouge Parish.

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Give him a chance to do exactly what he promised he'd do when you voted for him...

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I have lived here all my life. 74 years.

Woody Dumas promised he’d fix our streets. He hit Phase I passed. It covered North of Florida Blvd. Today s great grid pattern. Major arteries North of Florida were all four laned. Look at Evangeline, Winbourne, Choctaw, Woodale, Lobdell, Ardenwood and all the others. Phase II South BR never passed.

Pat Screen made the Library backers mad. He cut Library funding. The library backers got him to put a new dedicated library tax on the ballot. It passed. The library got more revenues, but Screen quit funding the libraries and instead he used their original funding for his pet projects.

EBRSS told me that if I vote for their plan that we’d get new schools, higher paid better teachers, and better school discipline. I voted for that and while we’ve gotten new schools, we haven’t got better teachers or school discipline.

I hope you can now understand why I’m a doubting Thomas.

Trust me, I get it. Color me skeptical.

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I hope you can now understand why I’m a doubting Thomas.

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Sure I can.

So, if you're happy with the DA, Sheriff and drainage being underfunded for services in St. George, just vote NO on the Thrive plan.

Edwards will fail on what he promised which got him elected, with a strong majority of St. George voters voting for him, and nothing will change, including the amount of taxes we all pay.

YAY...?

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Do you know for sure that all of the money saved from giving the three agencies a haircut is going to be used for parish services?

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I'm going by what Coach Edwards said about the plan. I quoted him word-for-word earlier. I trust him to not be lying about the Plan.

District 9 council member Dwight Hudson, who represents the eastern most council district all within the city of St. George, co-wrote the Thrive Plan. Is he lying about the plan, too??

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District 9 council member Dwight Hudson, who helped to write the plan, emphasized that it was a major accomplishment to figure out an agreeable compromise.

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LINK

So, if Coach Edwards & Dwight Hudson are liars, then why did a majority of St. George voters vote for Edwards & Hudson?

It appears that St. George voters refuse to accept "Yes" for an answer...

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Do you know for sure that all of the money saved from giving the three agencies a haircut is going to be used for parish services? Parish debt?

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There's no way to know this because they're skimming from dedicated funds and just throwing it in the "general fund" bucket. In my opinion, there is zero reason to structure it this way unless something shady is going on. Lower the millages of the library, COA, etc. and start from scratch if they need money for other specific services.