The Metro Council appears likely to defer its decision again on who to appoint to a panel that will review applications in East Baton Rouge Parish for the Industrial Tax Exemption Program, a tax break for manufacturers.
Council members Matt Watson and LaMont Cole, who are both seeking the nomination to the committee, say the vote will likely be deferred at tonight’s meeting because neither have the needed votes.
“LaMont has rallied Democratic support and I have rallied Republican support,” Watson says. While there are likely enough Republicans to deliver Watson the nomination, two were absent last month and Mayor Pro Tem Scott Wilson is expected to be absent tonight. A proposal needs seven votes to pass.
Watson adds the item will likely be taken up in January unless Wilson calls a special meeting later this month, or the vote changes unexpectedly tonight.
The committee will review companies’ applications for ITEP and deliver recommendations to the Metro Council, school board, sheriff and mayor, who will have the ultimate say on whether to approve or reject the applications.
Chief Administrative Officer Darryl Gissel will serve as the mayor’s representative on the committee, while Edward “Skip” Rhorer will serve as the sheriff’s representative.
The program has become a contentious issue in the past year, since Gov. John Bel Edwards reformed it to give locals a say in whether to exempt companies from local property taxes. The Baton Rouge Area Chamber and other business groups have called the exemptions vital to economic development. Together Louisiana, a network of grassroots advocacy groups, has demanded more scrutiny for the program.
Together Baton Rouge is also pushing for a matrix for evaluating the applications to be added to the item appointing a committee member.
“We’re putting so much emphasis on this because, while who is on the committee is obviously important, the policies the committee are implementing are even more important,” the group says in an email to supporters.
See the full agenda for the Metro Council meeting, which starts at 4 p.m. today.
—Sam Karlin
