As soon as Metro Councilman Joel Boé got an email notification this afternoon that an item had been placed on the Jan. 14 council agenda to introduce a measure calling for a tax and bond election on May 2, he began calling officials in Mayor Kip Holden’s administration looking for details.
“It was the first I’d heard of it. I talked with [Chief Administrative Officer] William Daniel, and from what I understand this is a public safety bond issue for a prison, juvenile facility, DA’s office and a complete renovation of the new Baton Rouge Police Department at the old Woman’s Hospital campus,” says Boé. “But they didn’t have any of the details. William said they’re still tallying up the numbers. He couldn’t tell me the total dollar amount, proposed millage or number of years the bond would be for.”
Boé wasn’t the only one scrambling for more details today. Councilman John Delgado says he, too, hasn’t seen any details, but has heard the bond issue will include the public safety components that Boé heard about.
“If it is a bond issue for a new parish prison and mental health facility, as I’ve heard it includes, I think it’s a smart investment because we have some real needs in those areas,” Delgado says, “but I don’t really know what’s in it.”
Boé says he told Daniel he was disappointed that no one from Holden’s administration had given anyone on the council a heads-up that a bond issue was being considered next year, adding that Daniel apologized.
The last time Holden floated a bond proposal in 2011, the council voted against placing the $748 million public safety and capital improvements tax package on the ballot, with a number of members citing frustration with Holden’s administration for not providing enough details on the proposal.
Prior to the 2011 proposal, Holden pursued even larger bond packages in 2008 and 2009. Those packages made the ballot, but both were rejected by voters. Daniel and other officials in Holden’s administration could not be reached by this afternoon’s deadline for comment. —Steve Sanoski
