Baton Rouge’s mayor said Tuesday he was scaling back his plan to shift some money that currently funds East Baton Rouge Parish libraries to pay for other priorities, saying it was a compromise with library supporters who feared the impact of budget cuts.
Edwards now also wants to reroute some money from the parish’s mosquito control program and the Council on Aging. All told, the city-parish general fund would grow by $36.89 million annually and receive $52.4 million in one-time funds.
The money would be used to stabilize the parish budget, which is facing a deficit because the new city of St. George is taking ownership of its share of tax revenue. It can also fund pay raises for parish employees, including police, but a priority will be placed on restructure benefits first, said Metro Council member Dwight Hudson…