GET DAILY REPORT FREE
On the campaign trail, Sid Edwards spoke in the language of possibility. A longtime football coach and political outsider, he pitched himself as a leader willing to challenge business as usual, Business Report writes.
He promised progress on blight, safer streets and a better quality of life, arguing that Baton Rouge’s problems were not unsolvable, just poorly managed. He had the confidence of a coach convinced his playbook was sound.
A year later, with his first year in office in the books, Edwards finds himself governing under far tighter constraints than he inherited. Voters rejected his tax proposal. Revenue is shrinking. Hundreds of positions are on the chopping block. The mayor who campaigned on bold reform is now tasked with delivering tangible results using fewer resources than his predecessors had at their disposal.
When Edwards discusses what his second year in office might look like, he does so under no illusions about the challenges that lie ahead.
“Any time you have a reduction in force, there’s going to be an impact,” Edwards says.
Yet rather than wringing his hands, the mayor is framing the moment as an opportunity to build a leaner, more modern and more efficient city hall.
“I guess it’s the way I’m built,” Edwards says. “Some people may be concerned about this, and I am to a degree, but to be honest, I’m more excited than I am concerned. We like solving problems.”
