Three parishwide taxes, one ballot
The library, BREC and the Council on Aging are all asking for your vote on June 29—and early voting ends this Saturday. There’s a school tax in Zachary too.
Four tax propositions are on the Saturday, June 27 ballot—three parishwide, one in Zachary. Early voting is underway through Saturday.
Why it matters: This isn't just another election. Considerable regular funding for the library and BREC is on the line, along with a tax supporting the Council on Aging. The $75,000 homestead exemption applies to each tax.
How to vote: Show up June 27 at your designated polling station, or vote early through Saturday, June 20. One catch: no early voting this Friday, June 19, the Juneteenth holiday. Early voting sites and times are at the GeauxVote site.
A reminder: The $75,000 homestead exemption applies to each tax.
What You're Voting On:
• EBR Parish Library—9.5 mills for 10 years. A yes vote renews a library tax of $9.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The tax would raise around $59.6 million annually and fund almost 100% of library operations.
A no vote means the library runs out of funding within 18 months—unless it comes back to the ballot and wins before then. In the meantime, the library would operate on reserves, funds it has set aside in accordance with national guidelines for emergency savings. These are the same dedicated reserves that other politicians in the parish have been trying to raid for unrelated purposes.
How it got here: The library has historically cruised through tax renewals. Then it got tangled up in Mayor-President Sid Edwards' three-part Thrive EBR plan, which went down in flames in November. The library reassessed how much it needed, reduced the millage a bit, and got approval to go it alone on this ballot, as it has in the past.
• Council on Aging—2 mills. That's $2 per $1,000 of assessed property value, generating $12.5 million annually for 10 years to pay for services for the elderly, including transportation, meals, housing, and operating budget.
Like the library, the Council on Aging was pulled into the comprehensive Thrive plan that was rejected last year.
• BREC—3.96 mills. That's $3.96 per $1,000 of assessed value, generating $24.8 million annually for 10 years for operations and maintenance. BREC says the $24.8 million is about 20% of its total budget. Without the renewal funding, services and maintenance would be reduced, says BREC, the largest single landowner in the parish.
An endorsement: The Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership (formerly BRAC) endorsed the BREC millage, citing the role of parks in economic development. However, the organization declined to take a position on the Council on Aging and EBR Library taxes, and as of our publishing deadline, had not explained why. We will update readers if the business organization provides further comment.
But wait, there's more: Zachary Community Schools—24 mills for 20 years. This one is for Zachary voters only. The system is asking for a renewal after a bigger proposal failed in November.
A yes vote levies a 24-mill property tax from 2026 through 2045. It would generate about $8.4 million a year to fund the raises for all school personnel.
The bottom line: The library's funding has an 18-month fuse; BREC and Council on Aging are on the same ballot. Saturday is the last day to vote without waiting until June 27. The decision is yours. Go vote.
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