Sponsored by City of St. George
Louisiana’s newest city is taking shape.
Since incorporating in 2024, St. George has been building more than roads, services and a city government. It has the unusual opportunity to create local government from the ground up, with an emphasis on local decision-making, accountability and efficient service.
Mayor Dustin Yates says that opportunity comes with a clear goal: to build a government that is responsive to the people it serves while putting taxpayer dollars to work efficiently.
Here, Mayor Yates shares his vision for St. George, the progress residents are already seeing and what he hopes the community will look like in the years ahead.
Q: How does living in St. George feel different than another city?
“Our vision for St. George is a community with greater freedom, safer neighborhoods and new opportunities to build a better future for families. What makes St. George unique is that we have the rare opportunity to build a city government from the ground up.
Rather than inheriting decades of bureaucracy and simply accepting that ‘this is how government has always worked,’ we can ask: What is the most effective way to deliver this service for our residents?
Most importantly, this city exists because its citizens wanted greater local control over the decisions that affect their neighborhoods, their tax dollars and their future. Our responsibility now is to prove that local government can be efficient, responsive and accountable to the people it serves.”
Q: What’s one way citizens can immediately see their tax dollars put to work in the city?
“The best measure of government isn’t how many programs it creates or how large it becomes. It’s whether residents can see and feel results in their everyday lives.
If you drive through St. George today, you should start to feel a smoother ride thanks to 957 pothole repairs already completed. You’ll see updated street signs, cleaner landscaping, and drainage ditches being cleared to help move water and reduce flooding concerns.
You’ll also see our On Scene Services partners responding to minor traffic incidents, averaging more than 300 calls each month. Instead of automatically building another large government department, we’re looking for efficient ways to provide services while allowing existing law enforcement resources to remain focused on higher-priority public safety needs.”
Q: What is the vision of St. George going forward? What should citizens expect over the next 20 years?
“Over the next 20 years, I want St. George to become a model for what efficient, transparent and responsive local government can look like.
That means safe neighborhoods, well-maintained infrastructure, responsible growth and a vibrant local economy where families and businesses want to invest. But St. George’s success is also tied to the success of the entire Baton Rouge region. Becoming our own city does not mean separating ourselves from our neighbors. It gives us an opportunity to become a stronger partner.
As I’ve said before, we don’t rise by building walls – we rise by building partnerships. Whether it’s infrastructure, public safety, economic development or regional services, there will be opportunities to work together toward shared goals.”
Get In Touch with St. George:
Report a pothole or drainage problem
