A pair of items on this year’s ballot allow voters to decide whether to renew two millages that keep BREC afloat.
Where do leading mayoral candidates stand on the issue?
In a statement sent to Daily Report, the campaign of Democratic incumbent Sharon Weston Broome made the candidate’s stance clear.
“Mayor Broome wholeheartedly supports these tax renewals for our world-class park system that improves the quality of life for all in East Baton Rouge Parish,” the statement reads.
Republican candidate and political newcomer Sid Edwards, meanwhile, was less certain when asked about the issue in an interview with Daily Report late last month.
“I’m currently in a state of indecision on that,” Edwards said. “There are days I wake up and say yes, because I think our park system is outstanding and has done some beautiful things and I want to continue to support that. But I do have some questions about where the money is and where the money’s going.”
The campaign of Democratic candidate and former state Rep. Ted James declined to comment on the issue.
The first millage, which is up for renewal every 10 years, is 6.2 mills for capital improvements and general operations. The tax that was established in 1964 has been renewed by voters for the past six decades.
The second, which is up for renewal every 20 years, is 3.253 mills to fund BREC’s Imagine Your Parks master plan. The tax was established in 2004 and is up for renewal for the first time.
The two millages equate to about 65% of BREC’s budget. The total millage for BREC is 14.463 mills, which brings in about $78 million.
While BREC Superintendent Corey Wilson has cautioned that neglecting to renew the millages would diminish the park system’s ability to maintain its current level of service, critics of the renewals have pointed to alleged financial mismanagement as well as a handful of facilities that have fallen into a state of disrepair as causes for concern.
When it comes to financial mismanagement, an independent audit of BREC filed in August found three instances of misappropriation of funds during the 2021 fiscal year, including one former employee who used a company credit card to make nearly $67,000 in personal purchases. The park system has yet to file its 2022 and 2023 audits.
Notably, in a recent interview with WBRZ-TV, BREC Commissioner and Treasurer Dwayne Rogers said there were major problems with the park system’s finances and that even he harbored concerns over the millage renewals, though BREC Chairman Kenneth Pointer on Monday issued a statement strongly objecting to Rogers’ claims.
