Thousands of Louisiana residents who voted years ago to create a separate city from parts of Baton Rouge will likely soon get their wish. state supreme court A significant judgment was rendered in their favor.
The movement to create an independent school district in the St. George area of southeast Baton Rouge began more than a decade ago and quickly evolved into a movement to create an independent school district. st george city In the hope that residents there will receive better services in exchange for their hard-earned taxes.
The 2015 city creation plan fell just short. Four years later, a similar bill passed with 54% of the vote.
As is often the case when disgruntled voters don’t get their way, opponents of the new city quickly went to court to deprive Baton Rouge of tens of millions of dollars in much-needed tax revenue for St. George. They tried to prevent it from being officially established, claiming that it would usurp them. .
For a while, the naysayers were successful. In 2022, a district judge ruled that St. George’s proposal was “unreasonable” and called into question whether the city would operate on a balanced budget. And last year, the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the person who initiated the proposal to put it on the ballot in 2019 did not follow state law.
On Monday, those victories came to a screeching halt in the Louisiana Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that organizers had taken the proper steps to incorporate the new city, overturning the lower court’s decision.
State leaders are already taking steps to build the city. In 2020, Congress created the St. George Transition District, which has the authority to collect taxes for the time being. If St. George officially incorporates as expected, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry will appoint an interim mayor and five interim City Council members. In the future, city residents will elect their own leaders.
The original proposal to create St. George established boundaries that would put the city’s population at approximately 68,000 people, but subsequent boundary changes meant that the city’s population would actually be closer to 100,000 people. It will be.
As in general, US population, 12% of residents living within the St. George resident boundary are Black. But since Baton Rouge’s black population is 47% his, detractors argue that St. George’s creation is another manifestation of racism.
The Associated Press noted with concern that the St. George area is “predominantly white and affluent.” The advocate similarly added that the “St. George movement” “could be inherently racist because it creates legal racial boundaries.”
surely, NAACP statement The state Supreme Court’s decision similarly said it was concerned about “the potential for racial discrimination and unequal distribution of resources.” “Our children and communities deserve a stable, fair and inclusive environment, and we implore decision-makers to prioritize these fundamental values.” insisted.
But St. George’s supporters say they just want their tax dollars to be put to better use. In fact, the campaign slogan for this city-creating measure was “Better Government, Local Control.”
chris reals, one of the leaders of the St. George founding movement, called for healing and unity for his Baton Rouge neighbors. “We extend an invitation to the neighborhoods and businesses that border the City of St. George to be part of the upcoming revitalization of East Baton Rouge Parish,” he said.
“We welcome growth and your business.”
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