Mayor Sid Edwards Warns of Mass Layoffs Amid Funding Crisis
The mayor insists that with rising crime, infrastructure failures, and a $48 million budget shortfall caused by the loss of sales tax revenue to the newly incorporated city of St. George, drastic measures are necessary.
BATON ROUGE, La. — A financial crisis is unfolding in East Baton Rouge Parish, and Mayor-President Sid Edwards is issuing a dire warning: hundreds of city-parish employees will be laid off if voters do not approve his plan to redirect dedicated library funding into the general fund to sustain critical public services.
"If this doesn't happen, 600 jobs will be cut. Services will be slashed," Edwards declared Tuesday, emphasizing the severity of the city's financial instability. His administration later clarified that while the exact number of layoffs remains uncertain, the city parish is on the brink of financial collapse.
Revive EBR: A Controversial Proposal
At the core of Edwards’ proposal—"Revive EBR"—is a plan to reroute tax dollars from the East Baton Rouge Parish Library system to address what he calls "more urgent needs," including public safety, infrastructure, and crime prevention. The mayor insists that with rising crime, infrastructure failures, and a $48 million budget shortfall caused by the loss of sales tax revenue to the newly incorporated city of St. George, drastic measures are necessary.
"This is about keeping Baton Rouge from falling into economic ruin," Edwards said. "If we don’t act now, essential services will be gutted, our streets will crumble, and crime will spiral further out of control."
National Trend: Cities Facing Similar Financial Struggles
What is happening in Baton Rouge is not an isolated crisis. Cities nationwide are facing budget shortfalls, forced layoffs, and increasing crime rates, with essential services remaining underfunded.
Edwards' approach mirrors controversial efforts in cities like Chicago, San Francisco, and New York, where local governments have attempted to reallocate funds to shore up struggling police departments and municipal services. The debate over whether to redirect dedicated public funding—such as libraries and parks—to law enforcement and infrastructure has sparked fierce resistance nationwide.
Library officials and community advocates in Baton Rouge have denounced Edwards’ plan, warning that dismantling a dedicated funding stream could set a dangerous precedent and destabilize one of the city’s most utilized public institutions.
“This isn’t just about libraries. If the mayor can do this now, what’s stopping him from taking funds from schools or parks next?” asked one concerned resident.
How Broome Handled Budget Challenges Without Cuts
Mayor Sid Edwards' approach stands in stark contrast to former Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, who managed to increase police and firefighter salaries without raising taxes or cutting public services.
On August 10, 2022, the East Baton Rouge Metro Council approved the following pay raises under Broome’s administration:
- 7% pay increase for Baton Rouge police officers
- 5% pay increase for firefighters
- 5% across-the-board pay increase for all classified and unclassified city-parish employees
Broome’s administration achieved these raises through internal budget restructuring, rather than cutting essential services like libraries. This approach ensured no mass layoffs or drastic funding shifts, highlighting a different path from the one Edwards is now proposing.
What’s at Stake?
If Revive EBR is approved, the reallocated funds would be used to:
- Expand law enforcement, community policing, and violence intervention programs
- Fund drainage and infrastructure repairs
- Expand mental health services
- Address blight and revitalize public spaces
But if the plan is rejected, Edwards warns that across-the-board budget cuts of 14.6% will hit most city-parish agencies, excluding fire and police protection.
Library Leaders and Community Pushback
Library officials and community leaders have strongly opposed the mayor’s plan, arguing that the funding reduction would cripple operations, eliminate expansion plans, and severely impact North Baton Rouge branches that have been waiting on capital improvements for years.
At a recent town hall meeting at Central Library, Assistant Library Director Mary Stein warned that the proposal would have devastating consequences.
“The reduction down to $38 million in annual operations will absolutely NOT result in ‘no reductions in services’ as stated during the press conference,” Stein stated.
She outlined the expected fallout:
- Cuts to staff, leading to reduced operating hours and days open
- Cuts to book and database budgets, limiting educational resources for the public
- Elimination of the Capital Improvements Plan, particularly for underfunded branches in North Baton Rouge
Councilman Hurst: Mayor Did Not Consult Library Leaders
Metro Councilman Darryl Hurst echoed Stein’s concerns, stating that Mayor Edwards failed to consult library officials before announcing his plan.
“At least talk to the library to say what are the core functions that are not moveable and tell me why, and let’s work together to figure out how we can solve this problem,” Hurst said.
He criticized Edwards for making sweeping decisions without understanding the library’s operations.
“Not come with a piece of paper saying, ‘Hey, this is what we are gonna cut,’ and you have no clue how a library operates. I can’t go in Pizza Hut and tell them how to make a pizza. That’s not what I do. Don’t come in a library and tell them how to run a library.”
Is This a Consequence of St. George’s Incorporation?
The financial strain in Baton Rouge has reignited concerns over incorporating the city of St. George, which Mayor Sharon Weston Broome had previously warned would negatively impact the parish’s finances. Critics argue that the current crisis directly results from the city losing St. George’s tax revenue, forcing Edwards to find alternative funding sources.
Next Steps: The Fate of Baton Rouge’s Budget
A public hearing on the mayor’s proposal is set for March 12 at the Metro Council meeting. With community members, library officials, and city leaders deeply divided, the fate of the library system—and the broader city budget—remains uncertain.
One thing is clear: this is not just a local issue—it’s part of a national reckoning over public funding priorities incorporating
