Baton Rouge Mayor Edwards' plan to shift library funds to police hits snag
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — East Baton Rouge Parish Library (EBRPL) leaders say they plan to work with Metro Council members after a resolution to renew a library tax millage failed to pass Wednesday.
The packed council meeting at City Hall drew library advocates and police officers, with many urging council members to support a lowered tax renewal for 10 years.
After discussions with council members, library officials requested to remove the item from the agenda as they work toward a compromise. EBRPL Director Katrina Stokes said the library plans to resubmit its original renewal proposal for a 10.5-mill dedicated tax.
According to the library system, the proposal could be reintroduced at the Feb. 26 Metro Council meeting, with a vote expected on March 26.
Mayor-President Sid Edwards has proposed rededicating library funds to the general fund, using the money to increase police pay, invest in economic development, and improve infrastructure.
'Careful consideration has been made to ensure that we will maintain the best publicly funded library system in the state. I am looking forward to working with the EBR Metro Council to better prioritize how the city-parish spends valuable taxpayer money,' Edwards said on Feb. 6.
If the Metro Council approves the plan in March, voters would decide on it in the October election.
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Baton Rouge Mayor Edwards' plan to shift library funds to police hits snag
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