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The public will decide in November whether to renew two millages that help keep Baton Rouge’s park system afloat.
BREC Superintendent Corey Wilson explained the ballot items when he addressed the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday.
One millage is 6.2 mills for capital improvements renewed every 10 years. The other is 3.523 mills for the Imagine Your Parks tax, which started in 2004 and is renewed every 20 years. He says the two equate to about 65% of BREC’s budget. The total millage for BREC is 14.463 mills, which comes out to $78 million, according to Wilson.
“The Imagine Your Parks tax totally transformed our park system,” Wilson says. “The most important thing to share with family, friends and neighbors is that the taxes will remain the same.”
Close to 80% of the system’s budget comes from property taxes. Ten percent comes from partnerships and grants, and the other 10% comes from self-generated income. The self-generated revenue includes $3 million from the Baton Rouge Zoo, $4 million from recreation and $5 million from golf operations.
Wilson says BREC is authorized to increase to 18 mills but will not increase taxes at this time.
“We’re working on our 10-year plan,” Wilson adds. “One of the wonderful things about the 10-year plan is that we will be able to bring new, improved and exciting facilities, programs and services if we are fortunate enough to have both of those taxes renewed.”
Wilson also mentioned current BREC projects, which include phase one of renovations to the Baton Rouge Zoo, the Ped/Bike master plan and projects, and renovations to Howell Community Park and the Frenchtown Conservation Area Nature Center.
Wilson says that phase one of the zoo’s renovations costs about $55 million and will be completed soon. The outcome of November’s election could impact the second phase of renovations.
“I can imagine that if we’re successful with the election, a portion of that funding will be dedicated to phase two at the zoo,” Wilson says. “We’re not sure how much it will be. We have a lot of things to take care of, and the zoo is one of many things.”
BREC is working on sponsorships and other means to fund the project. Wilson says the Louisiana Watershed Initiative is funding a portion of phase two, which involves widening and deepening the lake at Greenwood Community Park. It’s a roughly $4 million project.
“For phase two at the zoo, it’s our intent every three to five years to bring something new at the zoo,” Wilson says. “We’ve got to keep it fresh to where people keep coming back.”
BREC won the national gold medal for park and recreation management excellence in 2022. This was the third time BREC took home the award and the first time since 1991. Park systems that win have to wait five years until they are allowed to compete for the award again.
