Baton Mayor Rouge Sid Edwards can reduce 600 jobs if his plan to displace the library’s funds fails – the lawyer

In a fiery speech on Tuesday, East Baton Rouge Mayor Schead Edwards said he could reduce approximately 600 jobs and reduce some government services if his plan diverts the money that is currently going to the parish libraries is not going through.

“I like books and libraries, but I like people more,” Edwards said in a speech to the parish Chamber of the Eastern Baton Rouge.

Edwards said the 600th is a raw number assessment.

“But I want to say there will be difficult times,” he said.

About 4,500 people work, Chief Administrative Officer Charlie Davis operates.

Earlier this month, Edwards announced a plan to relocate the budget of the library, which is currently funded independently of its own ownership tax, in the parish common fund. This would allow the parish to take some money that is currently going to libraries, and instead use it to give big salaries to the police, among other changes.

Edwards has announced a new plan Tuesday – which he called Revive EBR – about how to spend the money that will come from libraries. In addition to police promotions, this will pay for drainage and road improvements; Mental health and public services; And efforts to deal with abandoned properties.

The new plan will give the BRPD’s lesser increases than the originally proposed, but “this really brings us to this issue” and will make the salaries competitive with other law enforcement authorities, Davis said.

Edwards claims in his speech that employees in very important parish departments – not only the police – are unpaid and do not have enough resources while the library is red with money.

“There are many people in the mayoralty who need to increase the pay,” he said, citing employees and officials, among others.

Previously, Edwards stated the fact that the library system has reserves over $ 90 million as proof that it raises too much money. Library officials say this is misleading – since they do not receive common parish funds, they have to save money on major repairs and new buildings, they say.

This is a developing story.