One of the hottest issues in this political campaign is something you won’t actually find on the Oct. 4 ballot: Mayor Kip Holden’s $989 million bond proposal.
The package--East Baton Rouge Parish’s first major capital improvements bond program in nearly half a century--will foot the bill for the largest Audubon tourism attraction ever, renovations to the River Center that will attract two hotels, sweeping drainage improvements, traffic light synchronization, a bigger prison and new digs for the police, sheriff, firefighters and juvenile services.
It doesn’t come before voters until November, but it’s certainly taking center stage in the mayoral and Metro Council races.
As political analyst and talk-show host Jim Engster puts it, Holden will actually be on the ballot twice⎯once in October to determine his own future, and again in November to determine what he perceives as the future of the city.
“I think it’s actually the major issue,” Engster says. “It’s generally thought that the mayor is not facing a stellar collection of opponents, so barring something unforeseen, he’s a heavy favorite for re-election, independent of this issue. But many who feel he will win in October aren’t so sure about his plan in November.
“Turnout is expected to be high in November, and if conventional wisdom is any gauge, that should help get more votes. But whether it will be enough to get a billion-dollar plan through the hoops is anybody’s call.”
As Central voters recently demonstrated with the rejection of a 29-mill property tax that would have funded a $98 million education complex, voters are in no mood for added expenses, which means the bond proposal is emerging as a litmus test of sorts in the Metro Council races, even though the council has already taken its vote on the matter.
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Few have argued against the need to improve infrastructure and public safety, but the tourism projects⎯which Holden insists be a part of the package⎯are magnets for critics. Early controversy centered in part that Alive and the parking garages would be built ahead of drainage improvements, although the administration has since said the timetable included in initial promotional materials was inaccurate.
“A lot of people meeting with Metro Council candidates are asking them their positions on it; obviously, they want to know where their Metro Councilman stands,” says Rannah Gray, whose consulting firm is charged with promoting the bond issue. “And the mayor is obviously out front on this. In terms of his October campaign, he is making it clear that this is something important for our future that he strongly believes in.”
Engster also thinks the quick timetable for the bond issue could prove problematic. That was one of the complaints of Metro Council members, although several of them then wanted to shorten the timetable even more by putting it on the October ballot.
“I think a little more preparation as far as indoctrinating voters on particulars would have been advantageous,” he says. “Sometimes these plans fail, and they come back in some other incarnation. Defeat in November does not necessarily mean this is over and done with. But it is being foisted on voters in a rather rapid way. We’re not being given a great deal of time to absorb all the nuances of a billion-dollar proposal that is quite sweeping in its objectives.”
Gray insists that won’t be a problem. Holden’s administration has spent the past month briefing various community groups like the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the Downtown Development District⎯both of which have wholeheartedly endorsed the measure. Others lined up in the near future include Associated General Contractors, Baton Rouge Growth Coalition, Forum 35, A6 and the Kiwanis Club. Several public meetings and open houses also are planned as the election date nears.
Attorney Jim Ellis is chairing a committee to support the proposal, starting with raising money for a marketing campaign.
“I feel like we’re on a good schedule,” Gray says. “It’s the schedule we hoped for from the beginning. It gives us the time we wanted to get out and educate the public in a grassroots way to give people ample time to get their questions answered.”
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Comments
Posted by pmccarron on August 27, 2008 at 9:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How about a public briefing on this proposal? now that BRAC and the Downtown Development District have been briefed, i would like a brief held at a public library in my district on a weekend - so I could learn more and ask questions - perhaps air something on Metro 21.
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