Baton Rouge, La. (September 5, 2018) – The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) today announced that its Board of Directors has voted to oppose the formation of a Baton Rouge City Council, in response to recent statements by local groups promoting the concept and pursuing an election for its formation.
“BRAC has long held a steadfast belief that economic vitality and quality of life are driven by inclusive communities working together to identify and solve problems,” said BRAC Board Chairman Ric Kearny. “We believe in a unified form of government for the City-Parish. The creation of an additional body of government within East Baton Rouge goes against this belief, proposing yet another wedge between the people and communities of the parish.”
Many of the concerns BRAC has for the proposed incorporation of a city of St. George hold true for the creation of a Baton Rouge City Council, including potential new taxes, impacts on public services, and additional layers of government bureaucracy. Like the proposed incorporation, the movement to create a new City Council promotes division and self-interest above leadership and solutions.
About the Baton Rouge Area Chamber
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) leads economic development in the nine-parish Baton Rouge Area, working to grow jobs and wealth and to improve the business climate and competitiveness in the region. Today, BRAC investors include more than 1,500 small businesses, midsize firms, large industry and entrepreneurial startups, as well as individuals and organizations that support business and economic development. In this capacity, BRAC serves as the voice of the business community, providing knowledge, access, services and advocacy. More information is available at brac.org.
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