Two Cents: Why is council involved in a local issue?

The Metro Council is scheduled this afternoon to consider a resolution of support for a proposed 10.6-mill property tax that, if passed on April 21, would generate as much as $18 million in dedicated revenue for the financially beleaguered Capital Area Transit System. The question is, why is a parishwide governmental agency wasting time debating what’s now a local issue? Because of the way those pushing for this tax have crafted the taxing district (limiting the vote to those in incorporated Baton Rouge, Zachary and Baker), it makes no sense for politicians representing constituents outside the taxing district to take a position on a tax they and those they are elected to represent will not pay. As important, why should any of us living within the taxing district care what someone—elected or otherwise—thinks who has no financial skin in the game? If the council wishes to debate mass transportation, perhaps members can explain why they won’t find the $2 million necessary to prevent a threatened July shutdown of the bus system. As interesting, maybe they can tell us if they will continue granting CATS a $3 million general fund appropriation should the tax pass. If the answer is no (and that seems to be the majority view after Business Report spoke with members of the council), perhaps they can explain how they intend to spend that $3 million (courtesy of voters in incorporated Baton Rouge, and perhaps Baker and Zachary) in the future: Will that money be dedicated to projects within those cities who made the bounty possible, or will the largesse be spread across the parish? Make no mistake, CATS should be a parishwide entity; it is those individuals responsible for this tax plan who have turned it into BRATS—the Baton Rouge Transit System. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com. —JR Ball