Seven months after voters rejected a plan to change how property taxes for some East Baton Rouge Parish agencies are spent, property tax renewals for three parish agencies were approved by wide margins on Saturday.
For the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, 64% of voters approved its property tax continuation of 9.5 mills. For BREC, 63% of voters approved its property tax renewal of 3.96 mills. For Council on Aging, 68% of voters approved its property tax renewal of 2 mills, with all 329 precincts reporting.
More than 74,000 parish residents cast votes for each of the three tax renewals on the ballot.
Library tax continuation
For the library system, the property tax will collect around $59.6 million annually for the next 10 years to fund all library operations. The previous tax millage, which expired at the end of 2025, was set at a higher rate of 9.89 mills.
The balloting comes after voters last fall rejected Proposition 1, which would have funded the system through an 11.1-mill annual tax, with 2.8 of those mills going to the parish’s general fund as a part of Mayor-President Sid Edwards’ Thrive plan to rededicate taxes to fix a hole in the general fund.
The issue on this month’s ballot garnered strong support from library-goers, but it also faced opposition that had significant funding.
With the millage approved, library leadership said the system can restore complete funding for books and materials and move forward with branch improvement projects.
“I wish to express our gratitude to our community. We greatly appreciate your approval of our 10-year dedicated millage, as you have every 10 years since 1986,” library director Katrina Stokes said in a statement. “Thank you for providing us with the means to continue keeping the promises we made for the past 40 years.”
Parks and recreation tax renewal
BREC’s tax will collect about $24.8 million annually beginning in 2027. This property tax was first approved in 1987.
This property tax funds the park agency’s operations and maintenance, which can range from staffing lifeguards to installing park security measures.
One of the most recent conversations surrounding Baton Rouge parks hasn’t been the tax renewal, but rather the future of the City-Brooks Community Park, and more specifically, the future of its golf course.
In June, hundreds of parish residents packed into a tense community meeting to address the future of the park, causing BREC to schedule another community meeting for public comment on the park in July.
Council on Aging tax renewal
For the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging, its tax will collect around $12.5 million annually for 10 years, beginning in 2027.
A majority of voters approved this property tax for 2.25 mills in 2016. For the past two years, the millage has collected 2 mills after it was rolled back following a tax assessment year showing rising property values.
The tax revenue funds Council on Aging services like meals and transportation for seniors.
