Editor’s Note: This story has been updated from an earlier version to include comments from East Baton Rouge Council on Aging Board Member and State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Council on Aging is thanking voters in the parish for passing a controversial dedicated millage in late 2016 to fund the agency with a full-page ad on the back of the community news sections of The Advocate today.
“Thank you to the EBR Taxpayers,” the ad says below the following text: “EBR Council on Aging … feeding seniors 365 days, no more waiting lists, 515,240 senior meals, 2.2 million dollars.”
“It’s unfortunate they still don’t get it,” says Metro Councilman Dwight Hudson, who was among those who opposed the millage increase and tried unsuccessfully last year to block its authorization. “They need to focus on our seniors, period.”
Hudson was not alone in his criticism today of the agency, which came under fire in the wake of the tax election for violating its nonprofit status to campaign for the tax and was also cited for financial mismanagement, board conflicts and a disputed will that a COA board member was involved in drafting for a COA client.
Council members Buddy Amoroso and Matt Watson also were troubled by the agency’s apparently recent decision to spend some of its newfound wealth—the dedicated 2.25-mill tax will generate about $8 million a year for the agency–on positive PR.
“It’s a gloat ad telling the public how great they are,” says Amoroso, who has been a longtime critic of the COA.
Adds Watson: “An ad doesn’t feed anyone or get anyone to the doctor.”
COA officials could not be reached earlier today for comment. No one answered the phone at the agency and a message left on the answering machine that picked up was not returned. An email to Chief Operating Officer James Gilmore was not returned in time for publication.
Following the publication of this story, however, COA board member and State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle returned the call and said the agency bought the ad to explain to the public know how its tax dollars are being spent.
“This is an opportunity to say, ‘Here is what we are doing and this is how we’re spending the first bit of money—$2.2 million of the taxpayers’ money,'” Marcelle says. “Often we don’t let the public know the good we are doing. I think this is a good use of funds.”
It’s unclear how much the COA spent on the full-page ad. A rate card from The Advocate provided by a local ad agency shows the price could range from as little as $668 per week for a 52-week buy to more than $1,100 for a one-time ad. Marcelle said the ads will run in all zoned editions of The Advocate, including in Baker and Zachary.
Metro Councilwoman Barbara Freiberg says she, too, had questions about the ad today but spoke to two COA board members who told her the agency received a discounted rate the newspaper gives to nonprofit agencies. The board members did not tell Freiberg how much the discount was.
Freiberg says after talking to the board members she’s OK with the agency’s decision to run the ad, provided it’s a way to disseminate information to the public about what the COA is doing to serve the community.
Coincidentally, the COA recently issued a Request for Proposals for marketing and design services. According to the RFP, the scope of services includes: PR-branding-agency awareness, internal/external communications and media strategy. The selected agency will be asked to develop an awareness campaign that, among other things, will “focus on changing agency perceptions and brand building.”
The RFP does not include a budget for the contract. The COA did not respond to request for comment in time for publication. A pre-bid conference on the RFP is scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m. at the Council on Aging offices.
