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Started By
Message
Is Baton Rouge really a "city" ?
Posted on 12/30/13 at 10:27 am
Posted on 12/30/13 at 10:27 am
I'm a little uneasy on my understanding of the government of EBR parish and city, so please correct me if I'm wrong in any of this.
The Metro Council and Mayor-President govern both the city of BR and the entire parish of EBR. Although the government is elected parish wide, it passes laws which may apply parish wide or just to the city.
Metro council members may be elected from districts that have no part of incorporated Baton Rouge within their boundaries - yet they have just as much of a vote over what the law is in the city of Baton Rouge as members elected from districts that are entirely within the city limits. In this respect, isn't Baton Rouge the "city" more like just a special district within the parish?
On the other hand, separate incorporated areas within the parish, such as Baker or Central - have their own city councils that pass laws applying only to their city from people elected only by residents in their city. While the people living in those areas may self-govern through a city government - the people living in the "city" of Baton Rouge are essentially denied that ability.
Some questions.
Do tax referendums which apply only to the city of BR get voted on by all parish residents or only by city of BR residents?
Do the residents of the "city" of BR have the right to vote themselves out of the joint city-parish government, or do they need approval from the parish as a whole? ("right" could either mean constitutionally or under the law of Louisiana and the parish, pick one or both)
7
Posted on 12/30/13 at 10:31 am to SpidermanTUba
It's a city.
The city government was consolidated with the parish government to save money.
The city government was consolidated with the parish government to save money.
Posted on 12/30/13 at 10:34 am to Asgard Device
quote:
The city government was consolidated with the parish government to save money.
Right, but doesn't that mean the city laws are subject to approval from the parish as a whole? While residents outside of the city may incorporate their own cities to pass local laws from local people, the residents of BR city are denied that opportunity.
IMO, if the joint city-parish government is revocable by the vote of only those with BR city - then it is voluntary. If it requires a vote of the entire parish to undo, then the residents of BR city are essentially being denied the right to run their own city.
Posted on 12/30/13 at 10:35 am to SpidermanTUba
quote:Why are you uneasy about it?
I'm a little uneasy
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:00 am to SpidermanTUba
From the City-Parish website
The website says the current system is more efficient because it combines services into one department. DPW for instance serves the entire parish and not just the city of BR. However, the thing about efficiency goes out the window when you talk about police and fire services because there are two police services (BRPD and Sheriff) and several fire services (BRFD, St. George FD, and East Side FD, etc.)
I think that the rural areas are getting the short end here. BRPD and BRFD are funded primarily out of the general fund; yet the rural areas get little of their services.
quote:
The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge are managed by a single, consolidated form of government. By having a consolidated government duplication of government services is eliminated, government efficiency is increased and cost is reduced. Basically, consolidated government is regarded as a more efficient way of running a metropolitan area. This form of government stems from 1947, when the people of the parish voted to consolidate the functions of local government so that the City of Baton Rouge and the rural, unincorporated areas of East Baton Rouge Parish would be served by a single government. The local government was further consolidated in 1982 when citizens voted to join the City and Parish Councils into a single governing body called the Metropolitan Council
The website says the current system is more efficient because it combines services into one department. DPW for instance serves the entire parish and not just the city of BR. However, the thing about efficiency goes out the window when you talk about police and fire services because there are two police services (BRPD and Sheriff) and several fire services (BRFD, St. George FD, and East Side FD, etc.)
I think that the rural areas are getting the short end here. BRPD and BRFD are funded primarily out of the general fund; yet the rural areas get little of their services.
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:13 am to doubleb
quote:
However, the thing about efficiency goes out the window when you talk about police and fire services because there are two police services (BRPD and Sheriff) and several fire services (BRFD, St. George FD, and East Side FD, etc.)
It does, doesn't it?
The quote seems to suggest that the residents of the Parish as a whole got to decide for the residents of the city that their local government would be subsumed by the parish government. That seems wrong to me.
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:20 am to SpidermanTUba
quote:
The quote seems to suggest that the residents of the Parish as a whole got to decide for the residents of the city that their local government would be subsumed by the parish government. That seems wrong to me.
It is wrong to have separate services.
They should have one police force, and one fire service.
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:20 am to doubleb
quote:
I think that the rural areas are getting the short end here. BRPD and BRFD are funded primarily out of the general fund; yet the rural areas get little of their services.
Where are you getting this information from?
Both BRPD and EBRSO are funded parish-wide and they have similar budgets.
Both BRFD and St George have separate taxing districts although the BRFD millage is lower. They should receive comparable amounts of funding (per capita) out of the general fund.
This post was edited on 12/30/13 at 11:25 am
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:22 am to SpidermanTUba
quote:
The quote seems to suggest that the residents of the Parish as a whole got to decide for the residents of the city that their local government would be subsumed by the parish government. That seems wrong to me.
I understand where your going with this. I believe, at first, the idea was to be more efficient and it actually worked better and at a more efficient and cheaper level. But more and more council members with no interest to the parish as a whole, begin gerrymandering votes for pet projects that benefit only themselves or one part of the city.
The CATS tax was 1. A vote was taken by the parish. The parish voted it down. The voting lines were redrawn, and it passed. Yet everyone in the Parish has to pay for it. And when we in the St. George district ask why we pay for a service we don't receive, we get an answer, "well you aren't in the incorporated city of BR, so you don't deserve the services". Yet they are more than happy to take my taxes. Same thing with the BRPD, BRFD. We do not receive ANY of those services. If you want to have your own Baton Rouge only services, then use taxes obtained from only BR residents and let them vote on it. Don't include those who do not get the services from it.
More reasoning why Baton Rouge is run by incompetent morons, and why St. George wants to become it's own city.
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:24 am to Asgard Device
quote:this
Both BRPD and EBRSO are funded parish-wide and they have similar budgets. Both BRFD and St George have separate taxing districts although the BRFD mill age is lower. They should receive comparable amounts of funding (per capita) out of the general fund.
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:25 am to BugAC
quote:
More reasoning why Baton Rouge is run by incompetent morons, and why St. George wants to become it's own city.
St George will still be subject to taxes passed by the parish, won't it?
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:30 am to SpidermanTUba
It's a city....the government is consolidated with the parish.
I honestly consider all of EBR one city in that respect. St George, like the other municipalities, will continue to contribute some tax revenue to the merged parish government.
I'd like to merge BRPD with EBRSO and have one large police force for the parish with legitimate "big city" resources and elected leadership (sheriff).
I honestly consider all of EBR one city in that respect. St George, like the other municipalities, will continue to contribute some tax revenue to the merged parish government.
I'd like to merge BRPD with EBRSO and have one large police force for the parish with legitimate "big city" resources and elected leadership (sheriff).
This post was edited on 12/30/13 at 11:32 am
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:30 am to SpidermanTUba
quote:
St George will still be subject to taxes passed by the parish, won't it?
I think they would be treated the same as Central, or Baker or Zachary is now.
This St. George thing has brought up some good questions. If the BRPD and the BRFD doesn't service the Mall of La., why should taxes from the Mall go to pay for BRPD and BRFD expenses?
FWIW, the politicians in charge quickly shot down the idea of a parish wide police force. It is obvious they want their cake (tax money) but they want to keep the status quo and their political power.
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:30 am to SpidermanTUba
quote:
St George will still be subject to taxes passed by the parish, won't it?
Yes, it will. Just like the surrounding cities. However, we won't be forced into pet projects anymore because we will be a city. As i stated with the CATS tax, cities like zachary do not have to pay that tax, nor do they pay for BRPD nor BRFD (if i'm correct). In St. George, we now pay for all of these and receive very minimal of these services. And when residents asked why we didn't receive the service, we got a response from the city council that "well you aren't a part of Baton Rouge". Then how the frick can you tax us for these things?
This post was edited on 12/30/13 at 11:35 am
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:31 am to SpidermanTUba
quote:
Isn't their a CATS stop
How can you expect to be taken seriously?
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:32 am to doubleb
quote:
If the BRPD and the BRFD doesn't service the Mall of La., why should taxes from the Mall go to pay for BRPD and BRFD expenses?
What in the world are you talking about? I ask again, who is the source of this "information" that you are spreading?
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:33 am to SpidermanTUba
quote:
Isn't their a CATS stop at Siegen and Perkins? Isn't that St. George?
I believe there is 1 route out of 17. The CATS tax is based on property tax. The lions share of property taxes that go to BR come from the St. George area, i believe. Inequality of services provided based on taxes received from the area.
I must mention, i am not an expert on the St. George proposal, but i do have a good understanding of it. I'm learning more and more each day.
This post was edited on 12/30/13 at 11:34 am
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:34 am to SpidermanTUba
Yes. There is a CATS stop servicing unincorporated EBR right now. That's another reason that tax was a terrible thing for Baton Rouge, as it is supplementing CATS revenue for service that may be occurring outside of the area that is taxed.
I'm not against public transit but I'm against CATS and their leadership. It's a horribly run organization with terrible service levels. I hope to see CATS eliminated (and the shady tax) and a new service provider used parish wide.
I'm not against public transit but I'm against CATS and their leadership. It's a horribly run organization with terrible service levels. I hope to see CATS eliminated (and the shady tax) and a new service provider used parish wide.
This post was edited on 12/30/13 at 11:36 am
Posted on 12/30/13 at 11:36 am to BugAC
quote:This is simply not true.
The lions share of property taxes that go to BR come from the St. George area,
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