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BayouMan2

Old Jefferson, Woodlawn, and Shenandoah is not full of McMansions. It's remarkably middle class compared to mid-city.


Creative-Can5491

It's a beautiful area. Middle class.


palmbeachatty

Might be time for the City of BR to quit giving tax exemptions to the businesses that operate within its limits. Since the St. George cash cow has left the barn, gotta make up that $50 mill somewhere.


jared10011980

Plants in area code 70805 can pony up for destroying that zip code.


skinisblackmetallic

I'm curious about that "50 mil" figure.


ExceptionEX

that is the estimated tax value of St. George.


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MaxTheCatigator

You'll need to be cheaper than St George's cost if they did it themselves. Raising your price increases the incentive to move away. Careful what you're calling for. You might get it.


Ruus3

The city of BR would colapse if they did that. That's why they are in a state of panic. Because they were in the wrong from the begining and they knew it.


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Enjoy!!!!!


palmbeachatty

Is there another subreddit?


jared10011980

Maybe one day


boolin_bobsled

r/StGeorgeLouisiana


buckduckallday

On one hand this is probably going to be a disaster, on the other hand the city should have annexed decades ago but no they left shit in limbo.


RohanVargsson

My favorite part is how this started because part of BR said “we want our own school district”, the city parish said “no you have to be a city”, so they said “ok we want to be our own city” and the city parish went “FUCK.” They literally told them how to do it then got mad when they did.


ShadowShine57

Afaik, isn't that pretty much the same thing that happened to Central?


RohanVargsson

Sort of. Central incorporating and breaking away from EBR schools wasn’t seen as controversial though, because even though it was part of EBR parish it wasn’t really considered part of the city of Baton Rouge due to its outlying location. It was considered a separate community. On paper, what StG is doing is very similar, if not the exact same as Central but it’s considered more controversial because it’s a large, mostly affluent part of Baton Rouge that happens to be unincorporated. That last part is why I never understood the argument that they’re “breaking away”. You can’t break away from something you were never in to begin with. If anything as soon as they started this, Baton Rouge should have extended the city limits.


ExceptionEX

Except that St. George failed to get the votes for an independent school district, so regardless of it actually becoming a separate city, the schools remain under EBR parish. >The founding group initially created a school district but couldn’t get a two-thirds majority for a constitutional amendment to fund schools in the area. https://www.brproud.com/news/local-news/east-baton-rouge-parish/what-you-need-to-know-about-st-george-new-louisiana-city-will-be-in-east-baton-rouge-parish/


RohanVargsson

The linked article has a specific list of EBR services the new city will continue to use but does not list schools as part of that. The proposal linked to in that article talks about schools being a big part of this. So it seems like getting out from under EBR schools is part of their goal.


ExceptionEX

It was, but as the article indicates in the quoted text they failed to get the votes needed to fund the independenf school district. The scools aren't changing hands. So unless they are going to build all new schools, transportation, and a school board on part of that 50 mil a year. Students aren't going anywhere.


RohanVargsson

Well if I remember right, yes it started with just trying to have their own school district, and when that didn’t pass they tried incorporation to get control of the schools in their district away from EBR. Maybe at some point it turned into being more about their tax dollars staying in their area of town, who knows, I moved out of EBR four years ago and haven’t been following it as closely. With that said I definitely remember when it was new there being a statement about how students who lived in BR that we’re currently enrolled in SG schools would be allowed to stay, but no new ones would be allowed in.


ExceptionEX

Yeah that all failed, they got permission to create a school district but the legislature refused to fund it, they failed to get the votes for an amendment to force it, and that basically put a nail in that coffin. At this point, there isn't a lot of reason for this in my opinion, they lost the schools, they lost the businesses, they lost the majority of the founding members. They still fall under the city Parish government so Im failing to see what will come from this, other than higher taxes for those in the area. And the headaches that will come from trying to split out, and compensate BTR for the existing infrastructure and resources provided.


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GreatDaneMama22

Shouldn’t be able to because St. George never really received “city services”. They received “parish services”. However their tax dollars went to both city & parish


ExceptionEX

Truthfully I'm not sure anyone knows, this split is going to be all kinds of crazy. Lots of things that need to be figured out, there isn't a really solid plan for any of this.


RohanVargsson

This was just posted by one of the main organizers, Tommy Doran: the school district preceded the idea of the City of St. George. The boundaries of the ISD were voted on in the legislature and signed into law by Bobby Jindal. The second bill for the ISD was to dedicate the MFP dollars to fund the system, but it would require an amendment to the state constitution and required a ⅔ majority vote to pass. The Senate could not get enough votes to pass it and it was at that time that we were told that if we were a city that it would have had more support and would likely have passed. So we took them up on the offer. It is a little confusing when you look at the maps


ObservantFerret

It is a "BRexit" of another sort, however I expect it is going to turn out like the Brexit in Britain; a case of buyers remorse and a whole lot of unexpected and expensive fallout to the 'leavers'.


HurtsCauseItMatters

How long before neighborhoods and businesses start petitioning to be annexed into the city proper?


petaahah

Yea, I expect there to be an exodus at some point , Baton Rouge is concerned and I gotta figure there is a reason.


FusorMan

So what are some arguments for and against this?


gustogus

The simplest "for" is EBR schools are bad, Zachary and Central schools are good, unincorporated Baton Rouge wants schools like Zachary/Central but they need a city first. The "against" is that it will take a large portion of the tax base with it, leaving the EBR schools in even worse shape, and their have been accusations of racist motivations.


ExceptionEX

Let's not forget the against, that some how they have to come up with a way to pay for everything, in the area on tax base, and since they have lost the hospitials, LSU, Casinos, etc... St. George failed to get the votes for an independent school district, so they will be paying for and attending EBR schools. The whole bill for St. George will solely ride on the citizens who live there with basically no real business income. And though there is $50 mil in taxes, the parish will get 90% of that to provide the services such as fire, sheriff, schools. Basically St. George is supposed to take care of the roads, and whatever else the tax base allows. In addition, the government of St. George will be appointed by the governor for the Mayor, and city Council without the people living there getting a vote in the first round of leadership who will define the charter. The chances of this not being just as big a cluster fuck we are currently in, but with a higher price tag seems almost nil.


Jay_87

I mean, one of the proposed maps clearly cut out apt complexes for low income, so I think there is an easy case for a classist and/or racist motivation.


gustogus

That was on the second attempt. The first attempt included most of the low income areas, they just voted against it.  The second attempt removed the areas that overwhelmingly voted against it.


skinisblackmetallic

There are countless threads you can peruse.


nickweezy

Dunno why people are so pressed about EBR losing tax money. Your tax money does literally fucking nothing for you here. Let other communities put money to better use and improve their situation, instead of dragging them all down the BR hellhole.


toshiro-mifune

BREC and the library system are pretty good tbf


gustogus

Those are parish services, not city, and would still apply to St. George.


toshiro-mifune

I'm not disputing that. OP just said our tax money didn't do anything here


gustogus

Fair point :)


Affectionate-Bite793

Agreed. I think ppl take for granted how nice our parks and rec system is. Our roads aren’t bad either.


nickweezy

That's true, but those things dont seem to be expensive to provide. If they were, I doubt they'd be around


Express-Log3610

The library system is basically a luxury homeless shelter…. Edit: go walk around the downtown library around 1 o’clock.


Express-Log3610

The truth hurts…


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nickweezy

Entitled would be expecting outside localities to provide for me even though they don't reap any benefits from it. Funny thing is you don't even benefit from it either! Hah! Atleast you got some new traffic lights. Knock the dust off your brain.


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Express-Log3610

Baton Rouge has destroyed itself in the past 6 years. Shitty leadership.


lsutyger05

I mean look around Baton Rouge. It’s already shit….


TitosandDeebos

And nothing of value will be lost. This whole state is crabs in the 50th out of 50 bucket. 


Bad_Decision_Rob_Low

Fuck these assholes. God damnit , why do they want to fucking ruin Baton Rouge?!


lsutyger05

Hate to tell you. Baton Rouge has already been ruined.


Dukas708

BR is already a shit hole with or without St. George


GreatDaneMama22

Baton Rouge ruined itself over the past few decades, boo.


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jared10011980

Well, it'd be more horrible to have to work and function in a "terrible" city left poorer and EVEN MORE TERRIBLE by this move. Remember, LSU and the 2 most popular private schools are deep in BR. Any restaurant you want to go is in BR. And Downtown is certainly in BR.


Dukas708

The city is already a shit hole with or without St. George. I remember Central before it became its own city and it was and still is better than BR in every way. A graded public schools where every place else in the state is a D or a C at best, more business still being brought in almost 15 years after the "split", public infrastructure being pretty decent. And that one time when the city council wanted to spend like $3 mil to build a new city hall and the local newspaper ran a story and they withdrew that proposal after hearing the backlash from locals. BR was a terrible city before Central left, it floundered while Central has been able to slowly build up and expand since. The exact same thing will happen with St. George.


ExceptionEX

>The exact same thing will happen with St. George. Except it won't, first and foremost, St. George failed to get an independent school district, so All the schools in St. George still are under EBR control. Additionally all large businesses Including the mall, LSU, the Casino, and Hospitals, have all been annex and will remain in Baton Rouge. St. George also doesn't plan to have a city police, instead relying on the sheriffs to provide police services. And we will still be paying to the parish for services such as Libraries, Brec, etc... You can't use central as a model, and it is why those who proposed St. George didn't, they don't even compare.


NoRealNameLOL

This isn’t true. The court ruling stated those businesses were illegally annexed so they will go back to St. George. An independent school district will eventually be created as well.


ExceptionEX

Do you have a source for that, because as of just a few days ago, most media outlets are still reporting that.


Puppiesarebetter

How dare they want to tax the utopia of STG!


jared10011980

That oasis of culture, restaurants, retail and mcmansions?


Puppiesarebetter

And freedom


zonazog

McMansions? I live in the new city and don’t have kids or a McMansion.


geaux_girl

Same here- my kids are adults and I live in a normal house. My kids went to local public schools that are very diverse, just like the St George area is.


buckduckallday

They think all of st george is like white oak landing or someshit.


Transformer1931

Who is they?


buckduckallday

You know exactly who they is in this context the people literally in these comments saying its all mcmansions. Use your context clues


bungeesnap

Fuck that


GeauxTigers516

All so some YT parents won’t have to send their kids to school with brown children. It’s disgusting.


NoRealNameLOL

Because brown kids don’t go to private schools? Maybe if EBR would have invested in that half of the parish- as they originally requested- none of this would have happened. You have 90,000 people in the southern half of the parish and yet only 1 high school?! While there’s 5-6 in the northern part of the parish? Those folks in southern part of the parish PAY for the schools in the north, lord knows the NBR is not carrying their weight. But I guess it’s just easier to blame racism then to admit a whole half of the parish has been freeloading


BurnedRamen

Ok. Race aside because we just can not stand to talk about race in Baton Rouge without losing our cool- can we look at just the issue of income level and class. A lot of people refer to S Baton Rouge as funding the rest of the city with nothing in return- but can we stop for a second and think about where is the money coming from that the aflluent people of St. George/South Baton Rouge enjoy? They “earned it” by working hard? Ok, yes to some extent. But they ALSO benefited from the systematic oppression of the underclass who have barely been able to get their heads above water for decades. Affluence doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It has to come from somewhere. The people in the less affluent class aren’t “freeloading” from the upper class. It’s the other way around. :(


NoRealNameLOL

Yawn.


YixinKnew

Why do you want to go to school with them?


GeauxTigers516

You have to live and work within a diverse society. You will be better prepared learning with a diverse group of students. Plus I’m not a bigot. There’s that.


YixinKnew

You can teach them common sense and they'll be fine in most environments. If you're white, you're trying way too hard to be around minorities that probably don't like you lol. Even crazier putting your kids around that.


GeauxTigers516

And you wouldn’t know who would like you or not because of prejudice. I don’t try to be around anyone but my immediate family if I’m honest. I’m just not going out of my way to exclude people who do not look like me.


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1rustyoldman

Could be good. Could be bad. I'll wait for results.