With the most contentious presidential race in recent memory on Tuesday’s ballot, it’s been difficult for Louisiana’s U.S. Senate candidates and Baton Rouge’s mayoral hopefuls to capture the attention of a distracted electorate. Engaging voters has been even more of a challenge for BREC, which is seeking approval of a 3.96-mill property tax renewal for the city-parish parks and recreation agency.
The 10-year renewal, which would generate an estimated $15 million a year for the agency, will be at the very bottom of the ballot in East Baton Rouge Parish. BREC Superintendent Carolyn McKnight is keeping her fingers crossed that voters make it all the way down to the end of the ballot and, once there, support the measure.
“We’re just trying to educate the people about what the tax will cover and what it will pay for,” says McKnight. “I’ve had some pretty positive responses. Some people don’t quite understand what the tax is about but for the most I feel positive about it.”
BREC has relied primarily on social media, yard signs, donated billboards and grassroots campaigning to try to drum up support for the tax renewal, which will go to the agency’s operating and maintenance budget, and won’t be used for any capital expenditures like new parks or construction projects.
McKnight concedes it’s especially important that voters understand the distinction, particularly because some of BREC’s capital projects have caused controversy. Earlier this year, BREC tabled discussions about moving the Baton Rouge Zoo from north Baton Rouge to a new location in south Baton Rouge, noting that pushback over the proposed move could have a negative effect on the tax renewal.
“We are far from talking about a new zoo and I didn’t want the zoo issue to shade and cloud this millage issue because it’s a whole separate issue and is unrelated,” McKnight says.
While McKnight says a defeat of the millage would mean a $15 million cut to the BREC operating budget, those cuts wouldn’t necessarily come right away. In fact, the agency can bring the measure up again in April during a special election.
“We could come back but hopefully we wouldn’t have to do that,” she says. “That would be $600,000 of taxpayer dollars wasted so that doesn’t make sense to me.”
—Stephanie Riegel
