Saturday is election day in Louisiana, and—as Business Report Publisher Rolfe McCollister reminds us—East Baton Rouge Parish voters head to the polls to decide if they want to continue paying taxes that currently help fund the school system and police department.
“I am not going to try to tell anyone how to vote, because it’s your money and you can decide where to spend or invest it,” McCollister writes in his latest column. “But I will explain how I see the choices and share how I will vote.”
In short, McCollister will vote to renew both tax proposals: a 0.87-mill property tax for the Baton Rouge Police Department, and 1-cent sales tax—made up in three parts—for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.
The police property tax generates $1.7 million annually for the department and has been on the books since 1958. It on the ballot now, as McCollister explains, because the legislative auditor is challenging the legality of its original implementation.
“With the serious concerns over crime, a loss of these established funds would just make the job more difficult for our officers,” he writes. “We all know the importance of public safety to our quality of life. For my family, I will vote YES to make this existing millage official.”
As for the public schools tax renewal, McCollister is supporting all three propositions on Saturday’s ballot.
- Proposition 1 (51% of the total tax) will finance 29 technology and building projects, including seven school closures and remodels. If approved, six schools also would be consolidated into three. “They will build six new schools with a number of those in south Baton Rouge (long overdue),” he says. “I like the fact they will close and consolidate locations—and build new schools where the population is going.”
- Proposition 2 (41% of the tax) combines the current six alternative schools into three locations. It’s simply a wise move, McCollister says.
- Proposition 3 (8%) maintains funds going to pay teachers and staff and keep school system competitive with other school systems in the Capital Region. Teacher pay in the district is currently behind West Baton Rouge and Zachary, about the same as Ascension, and a little above Livingston “Losing this millage would drop average teacher pay about $4,000 annually,” he says.
Acknowledging his long history of advocating for school choice in East Baton Rouge Parish, McCollister says we have to move forward for the good of the 40,000 children attending the parish’s public schools.
“They are innocent and deserve a good education,” he writes. “And while my dream would be for Baton Rouge to be like New Orleans, which is all public charters, private or vouchers, that is not likely to happen soon. So, we must keep these children in mind and ask what is best for them now.”
Beyond tax proposals, McCollister questions why those responsible for causing road-closing accidents that bring this city to a traffic halt aren’t required to pay a bigger price. He also has words of praise for THRIVE Academy and its current capital campaign.
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