[Sponsored] About the renewal of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library millage

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    The top floor of the library is dedicated to public events.

    Your award-winning East Baton Rouge Parish Library system is funded almost entirely by a 10-year, dedicated property tax; that tax will EXPIRE in 2025. The Metro Council must approve the renewal election.

    The East Baton Rouge Parish Library will bring a proposition to call an October election for the Renewal of its 10-Year, dedicated tax millage before the Metro Council at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12. 

    At that time, the Metro Council will not only hear and discuss the Library’s proposition, but they will also vote to approve the election proposition and set the millage rate that will appear on the October 11th ballot.

    The Library is asking the Metro Council to approve this proposition to renew our dedicated property tax at a reduced rate of 10.5 mills.  Their approval allows us to bring the proposition to the voters of East Baton Rouge Parish on October 11, 2025.

    This 10-year, dedicated property tax funds public library services including ALL operations and capital improvements for the entire parish through 2035.

    This proposed TAX is a RENEWAL, not a new tax.

    In fact, this proposition is to RENEW at a REDUCED RATE!  The requested millage rate of 10.5 mills is LOWER than the millage approved by the voters in previous years.

    • In previous years (in fall of 1995, 2005, and 2015), the public voted to fund the Library at 11.1 mills.
    • The Metro Council asked the Library to look carefully at all cost projections and capital projects and consider LOWERING the request from the previously approved 11.1 mills tax. After careful consideration, we are confident that we can maintain library operations and complete anticipated capital improvements using the REDUCED RATE of 10.5 mills, including factoring in roll backs every four years.

    The requested millage rate of 10.5 mills was derived following detailed analysis and cost projections.

    • In addition to research on costs and inflation, the Library has consulted experts and used findings from its recent Facilities Master Plan Study to estimate cost projections for the next 11 years.
    • The Library can continue to fund future operations and capital maintenance and improvements on the Pay-As-You-Go Plan with no diminishment in services up through the year 2035 on this reduced 10.5 millage rate because all major construction projects outlined in the original 30-Year plan have now been accomplished.
    • Operating on the Pay-As-You-Go Plan, with no bonds or indebtedness, the Library is the “Dave Ramsey” of government agencies.
    • The Facilities Master Plan maps out anticipated costs through 2035 so the Library can plan and save.
    • Capital Maintenance and Improvements projects protect the public’s investment; the detailed 10 -Year Maintenance Plan and Technology Plan were prepared following widespread public input and with advice from experts.
    • Since the Metro Council must decide what the tax rate will be for the next 10 years, this vote is extremely important to the Library’s future. It is critical that Council members hear from the community.

    Members of the community have reached out to ask what they can do. Please consider contacting council members before Tuesday, February 11 to let them know your position regarding the Library’s proposition for a RENEWAL of its 10-Year, Dedicated Tax Millage at the lower rate of 10.5 mills. One library advocate is simply emailing the Metro Council email address with a short statement:

    “I support the library’s proposition to bring a 10.5 mills tax renewal (reduced from 11.1 mills) to the voters in October.”

    The Council meeting begins at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12; we will be in Council Chambers on the third floor and would be delighted if you could join us and continue to show your support through your attendance.

    What if the Metro Council votes to allow the election, but reduces the millage we can ask for? Depending on the millage, capital projects would not only be delayed but also the scope of each project would be reduced.  Maintenance projects would be deferred. This means that Baker, Central, Zachary, Delmont Gardens, Carver, Eden Park, and Pride Branch Libraries would not be updated to the same level as other recently renovated and expanded branches in the parish.  We would have to postpone the much needed NORTH BR START Library at the old EKL site and the SOUTH BR START Library to the west of Gardere indefinitely. We would not be able to fund the Library in the Juvenile Services Center. Cutting the millage rate would have serious, negative consequences for all of the residents of the parish, and for the first time, the Library would not fulfill its promises to the voters.

    What happens if the Metro Council does NOT allow us to bring our Proposition to the voters in October? The current tax expires in 2025. Without a new tax, all Library operations would be immediately reduced.  We would have to close branches unless we stripped out the Capital Improvements Plan and instead re-assigned all funds currently designated for Capital Projects for library operations. We would then have to go back to the voters in 2026, because once the current Fund Balance was exhausted, there would be no other funds to operate the library system.

    Why an October election instead of a November election? The October election typically has a larger voter turnout than the November election.  Since the public library system is for everyone, we want as many citizens as possible to have the opportunity to vote.

    If you would like more details, please contact Mary Stein at mstein@ebrpl.com.

    We want our government officials to understand and feel positive about the fact that the Library Board and Administration LISTENED to them when they asked us to cut back. We want our stakeholders to have confidence in the process of gathering input from the community, in our transparency, and the fact that we plan ahead, with plans and projections based on data and previous data-driven decisions.

    It’s important that the community makes their voices heard before, and during the February 12 Council Meeting – Useful contacts: