If OK’d Wednesday by the Metro Council, a resolution to expand the St. George Fire Protection District will set a 10-year, 1.25 mill property tax on those within the new district, beginning in 2012, as well as an annual service charge not to exceed $32. The proposed district encompasses a growing portion of south Baton Rouge currently without fire protection—roughly the area between Nicholson Drive and the Mississippi River from Riverbend to the Iberville Parish line—including the L’Auberge Baton Rouge casino slated to open next year. District expansion will require voter approval by those in the area, and Wednesday’s resolution would place the item on the Oct. 22 ballot. Councilman Chandler Loupe, who represents the area, says no one objected to the expansion at an April 27 public hearing.
The St. George district currently serves about 100,000 people in a 68-square-mile area of south Baton Rouge. The expansion would increase the fire protection district by about 15%, says Chief Jerry Tarleton, but would only include a few dozen more households and businesses. The Metro Council meets 4 p.m. Wednesday in council chambers, third floor, of the Governmental Building on St. Louis Street. —Steve Sanoski
