East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards has released his “Revive EBR” proposal to relocate library funds for other city services like public safety and road improvements.
According to Assistant Library Director Mary Stein, the $92 million savings account puts money toward building projects, maintenance and maintaining services. Edwards calls it a surplus and wants voters to decide if their tax dollars should go elsewhere. His plan would reallocate funds for police and other parish-city employee pay raises.
“ And if they go to the polls in October and they say, no, we don't want to pierce that account. We want all that money to stay there. Then I'm going to respect that because the people spoke,” said Edwards.
The city-parish is facing a $52 million budget shortfall as the City of St. George begins collecting taxes.
Edwards said he will then look at a Plan B, but admitted he doesn’t have one at the moment. He said 600 jobs could be cut as a result of the reallocation, and there would be a reduction in services.
His plan has seen pushback from library supporters. Stein said what Edwards refers to as a $92 million surplus, is their operating budget for next year. She said they would be dependent on the parish general fund instead of funding from a millage.
“We were told again and again that we would be taken care of and there would be no diminishment of library services, absolutely not, that we would of course remain the best funded library in Louisiana, but the math doesn't add up,” said Stein.
Stein said they’ve asked to meet with the Edwards administration but haven’t scheduled an official meeting.
The metro-council is scheduled to vote on the Revive EBR proposal next month at their meeting on March 12. If it’s approved, it would go before voters in October.
Councilman Daryl Hurst, who is on the library’s board, said police and other employees need pay raises, but worries the library will be forced to cut services.
“ If that goes through, then it leaves the library on an if or a hope because at that point all the library dollars are being managed by the mayor's office, by the administration who have no clue how to run a library,” said Hurst.
The metro council will hold two public meetings on the proposal. The first will take place at the Central Branch Library, 11260 Joor Road, on Thursday, Feb. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The second will be held in Council Chambers, 222 Saint Louis Street, Room 348 at 4 p.m. on March 12.
You can find a list of FAQs about the library millage on its website.
