The Metro Council on Wednesday deferred placing a property tax on the Dec. 10 ballot to fund road work, but approved sending several other tax measures to voters, including one for a new mental health facility.
The 10-year, 1.5-mill property tax would finance the operation and maintenance of a proposed mental health facility known as The Bridge. While all but two council members voted to place the tax measure on the ballot, some questioned the timing of a new tax when many residents are burdened with the cost of rebuilding after the flood.
“You’ve got people who are just trying to get back into their homes. To sit there and say, ‘We’re going to put a property tax on you,’ and you don’t know if some people are going to leave, if they’re going to come back. We don’t know what are our tax base is going to be,” said Councilman Scott Wilson, adding that he does support the center, but couldn’t in good conscience support putting a property tax on the ballot. Councilman Ryan Heck joined him in voting against the proposal.
Councilwoman Tara Wicker said the council cannot afford to not support the tax for the center given the stress resulting from the flood.
“We’re going to faced with communities that need access to services and that need help and it won’t be there,” she said. “I think this is most definitely the right time to do this.”
Meanwhile, the council also approved placing tax measures to support several local fire protection districts on the December ballot, as well as a new 2% hotel occupancy tax within the boundaries of the Baton Rouge North Economic Development District. The general boundaries of the district are Florida Boulevard to the south; Hooper Road and Harding Boulevard with area around BREC’s Anna T. Jordan Park to the north; Joor and Mickens roads to the east; and Scenic Highway and 22nd Street to the west.
There were 17 active hotels and motels in the economic district, which does not include Baker, Central or Zachary, prior to the flood. The tax would generate about $261,362 per year for the economic development district, according to the city-parish Finance Department. A related measure on the December ballot will ask voters to approve a 2% hotel occupancy tax within the same economic development district to fund the operation and maintenance of the Baton Rouge River Center and Visit Baton Rouge.
Though it deferred a 5-mill property tax for additional roadway improvements under the Green Light Plan, the council will take it up again in two weeks. Also at the next meeting, the council will hold a public hearing and vote on on a $47 million budget amendment request from the mayor’s office for flood-related expenses.
—Alexandria Burris
