BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Two proposals aimed at altering the composition of the BREC park system have advanced from the House—raising questions about which entity should oversee parks in East Baton Rouge Parish.
House Bill 86, authored by Baton Rouge Republican Rep. Dixon McMakin, would change the makeup of the BREC board, giving each city in East Baton Rouge more of a say through direct representation.
“Right now, it’s nine members, so we have appointees from the Metro Council, school board gets one, planning commission gets one,” McMakin explained. The new board would be five mayors, or their designees, and then four members of the Metro Council. Of those four, two are from the City of Baton Rouge, one is from the unincorporated area of East Baton Rouge Parish, and then the other one can be whoever is at the will of the Metro Council.
The proposal received widespread backing in the House with 89 votes in favor and 6 against. According to McMakin, this restructuring of the board aims to enhance transparency and accountability.
If you get an elected representative from every single one of those towns, they will secure a place at the decision-making table. Consequently, both BREC and the citizens within these municipalities can ensure accountability,” stated McMakin. “I support dual layers of oversight—both at the state level and within local governments.
Rep. Lauren Ventrella’s House Bill 649 also passed the House today. It would take Central out of the BREC system and give the city independent authority over the parks in its area, as well as new developments.
Mayor Wade Evans of Central City stated that he backs both proposals and simply wishes to manage his own parks.
“The board should consist of the leaders or their designated representatives from various areas throughout the parish,” Evans stated.
If both measures get approved, Evans will not only establish his own park system but also secure a position on the newly formed BREC board. Both McMakin and Evans verified that Central would be removed from HB 86 should HB 649 become law.
“As Ventrella’s bill goes through, they can cut me out of that, but going forward, I support both of them,” Evans said.
Both bills now head into the Senate committee, where both McMakin and Ventrella said they like their chances.
“I am happy that our desire to lower taxes, increase efficiency, and give local control of our parks resonated with my colleagues in the house,” Ventrella said. “We look forward to continuing our momentum in the Senate.”
East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards said he would not comment on the legislation at this time.
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