Baton Rouge taxpayers will not be stuck picking up the tab for the legal fees Mayor Sharon Weston Broome incurs fighting the city of St. George incorporation.
Late Wednesday, attorneys representing Broome as mayor-president sent a litigation hold notice to St. George organizers and their attorney, alerting them of a pending lawsuit and the need to preserve any documents and information that could be relevant during the discovery process.
It’s a standard part of the legal process that is typical in large, complex cases. But it raised the question: If Broome is suing St. George in her capacity as mayor-president, who is paying?
Chief Administrative Officer Darryl Gissel says it’s not the city parish.
“In the aftermath of the vote, we have had lots of people come forward who have offered to help with legal fees,” he says. “There will be an outside fund that will pay for this.”
Gissel couldn’t say who might be chipping in to help pay for what could be months or years of legal bills.
Earlier this month, H&E chairman John Engquist, one of the most prominent business leaders to publicly oppose the St. George movement, said he would support efforts to challenge the incorporation, adding in a text message, “I think there will be plenty of financial support to oppose St. George. This is not good for Baton Rouge!!!”
It’s also worth noting that, legally, Broome could not stick city-parish taxpayers with St. George legal bills without first seeking approval from the Metro Council—something that would likely never happen, given the council’s divided nature and the fact that several council members represent districts within the St. George limits.
