BATON ROUGE – A significant 60% of voters in the parish turned down the East Baton Rouge Diocese’s 20-year tax proposal on Saturday. This tax was projected to generate over $24 million annually for the office.
Chief defender Kyla Romanach mentioned that the official defender’s office is currently receiving part of an $8.7 million allocation from the city’s general fund, which is mainly directed to the DA’s office.
Hiller Moore informed WBRZ that, regardless of the proposal’s failure, his office will still access the $8.7 million.
Romanach expressed concerns, stating, “The ultimate outcome is that we may not have the right funds at all.”
The office relies on funding from city parishes, state contributions, and “user fees for convictions,” but the resources are still insufficient, according to Romanach.
She pointed out that with the district attorney operating under a $16 million budget while her office’s budget is under $6 million—serving 85-88% of clients—they are facing significant challenges.
Most support for the tax came from areas south of Floridouble Bird, but only 40% of voters in the parish were in favor. Opponents were predominantly located in North Baton Rouge and regions towards Central and Zachary, with Glen Oaks showing a notable 91% rejection rate.
Romanach acknowledged the rationale behind the 60% vote against the proposal. “We lacked commitments regarding any fixed amount from the General Fund. I think this raised concerns for a segment of the community who feared it might lead to inequality.”
