The East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority’s new interim CEO, Gwen Hamilton, met Tuesday with Mayor Kip Holden in one of her first official acts at the helm of the agency. Hamilton, who was appointed by the RDA board of commissioners last month to succeed Walter Monsour, describes the meeting as extremely positive and productive, though the issue of permanent funding for the cash-strapped RDA didn’t come up.
“It was great. We both agreed we would be working together and moving forward,” she says. “But I didn’t ask him for anything. I’m not prepared to do that yet.”
Hamilton says she will be working hard to identify a permanent source of funding in the weeks to come. She will be doing so with a lean staff. Earlier today, the RDA board approved its budget for 2015, which, at $846,000, is about $254,000 less than last year’s $1.1 million budget. Savings have come from the November resignation of Monsour, whose $265,000 annual base salary drew sharp criticism from the mayor, and also from the recent resignations of two staffers. Hamilton says the two staffers will not be replaced.
“We’re down to five employees and an intern,” she says. “We’re lean and mean.”
The board today also approved a revised budget for 2014, which reflects the savings from Monsour’s salary. The budget was revised downward to $1.1 million from $1.3 million. —Stephanie Riegel
