Superintendent of Baton Rouge recreation agency won't seek contract renewal
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — BREC Superintendent Corey Wilson announced he will not be seeking a renewal of his contract with the agency at a Thursday commission meeting.
Wilson was unanimously voted in as the superintendent for BREC in January 2019. He previously served as the agency's in-house attorney and administrative executive. His contract will expire on Jan. 31, 2026.
According to Chief Operating Officer Andrea Roberts, Wilson will answer staff questions at a Monday town hall meeting. Roberts said the commission would hold off on discussing hiring a new superintendent until after the town hall meeting.
Two bills filed by State Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, for the upcoming legislative session could significantly change the agency's operations. In a statement issued by Chief Operating Officer Andrea Roberts, the agency said it is 'unaware' of McMakin's goal in filing the bills.
'Transitioning BREC under City-Parish could potentially jeopardize the funding that citizens have endorsed. We see no compelling reason to restructure, as our existing format effectively channels investments throughout East Baton Rouge Parish, resulting in significant initiatives in varied communities across the parish,' Roberts said.
HB 86 would reduce the number of BREC commission members from nine to five. The proposed bill would replace the current structure with a commission made up of mayors.
Currently, the commission consists of nine members, including:
Six appointed members chosen by the Metro Council.
Three ex officio members: the mayor-president or a designee, an East Baton Rouge Parish school board member, and a planning commission member.
If passed, this change would terminate the terms of all current commissioners and replace them with the mayors of the specified municipalities. Three members would constitute a quorum, making decisions easier to reach with fewer participants.
The second bill, HB 87, would repeal all existing statutes governing BREC, effectively eliminating the agency as an independent political subdivision of the state. Instead, the bill would transfer all obligations, property, records, and employees of BREC to the city-parish government.
The push for restructuring BREC's leadership and transferring control to the city-parish government comes just weeks after a 2022 audit revealed significant financial and operational concerns within the agency.
The audit found:
Payroll errors: Three employees were paid twice for their final termination payments, resulting in overpayments totaling approximately $42,000.
Untimely reconciliations: The agency failed to reconcile bank accounts, payroll benefit liabilities, and inventory accounts in a timely manner, increasing the risk of financial mismanagement.
Equipment theft: Multiple instances of theft totaling approximately $29,000 were reported, including stolen catalytic converters, power tools, and electronic equipment from various BREC facilities.
BREC management responded to the findings by hiring additional accounting staff and improving financial oversight. The agency also said it is reviewing internal controls and enhancing security measures to prevent further thefts.
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