Work continues behind the scenes by several groups brainstorming ways to bring emergency health care to north Baton Rouge—work that may be bolstered by a list of incentives available to the city-parish that was presented to the Metro Council at its meeting Wednesday.
Councilwoman Tara Wicker says the report gives the groups a “baseline to work off of” in terms of knowing what is available to them. But she feels the right combination of ingredients to address the need will be a recipe of a public-private partnerships coupled with state and local government assistance.
“My hope is that we will have the opportunity to have in place some sort of significant health development district or health district that would have the ability to generate revenues in that area for access to health care,” Wicker says.
A health district, or hospital services district, is one of the six main incentives outlined in the report compiled by the Parish Attorney’s Office, Office of Community Development and Finance Department. The other incentives include an enterprise zone, cooperative endeavor agreements, economic development district, tax incremental financing district and community development funds.
A hospital services district is a public entity authorized to operate a public hospital. The district allows for tax-exempt construction and the entity is authorized to generate money through property taxes. An enterprise zone allows for a 1.9% rebate of sales taxes on materials used in construction. Baton Rouge General Medical Center in Mid City has participated in the program.
Cooperative endeavor agreements can be made between governments and an entity to advance a public purpose. An economic development district can levy additional taxes within a district. Tax incremental financing districts allow developments to charge additional sales tax on purchases made within to offset construction costs. Community development funds include community block grants that are available to build health care facilities.
The main groups Wicker says are working to bring emergency health care to north Baton Rouge are Together Baton Rouge, a legislative group led by state Sen. Regina Barrow, a committee led by Councilwoman Chauna Banks-Daniel, the Scotlandville Community Coalition and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, which has also been meeting with a few groups.
“There’s a lot of discussion, needless to say, about the north BR area,” Wicker says.
Councilman John Delgado, who requested the report in February, says he has spoken with the CEO of a local hospital about coming to north Baton Rouge, though he declined to identify the CEO. Delgado says he left the conversation feeling really good.
“There was certainly the impression was that there was interest from a moral perspective that we need to provide health care and from a functional perspective of can we make it work,” he says.
Rinaldi Jacobs, a north Baton Rouge business owner and member of the North Baton Rouge Economic District, says Together Baton Rouge’s plan is the best he has seen to bring emergency health care to north Baton Rouge.
Edgar Cage with Together Baton Rouge says the group is still working on its plan to create a health district in north Baton Rouge, and will unveil its plan sometime in the next 70 days.
The group announced its intentions to the Metro Council at a contentious Feb. 17 zoning meeting, during which several north Baton Rouge residents voiced their opposition to the creation of the Baton Rouge Health District in south Baton Rouge.
Cage says a Louisiana statute allows for the creation of a health district in north Baton Rouge, which would need approval from the Metro Council before a board of directors can begin working on filling the district.
—Ryan Broussard
