Metro Council deletes Crossroads contract, approves grants, demolitions, audits and appointments

At its March 26, 2025 meeting the East Baton Rouge Parish Metropolitan Council deleted a proposed federal government relations contract with Crossroads Strategies LLC, signaled the mayor’s office will seek a new federal lobbying contract with Cornerstone Strategies, and approved a sequence of administrative, public‑works and finance items from the agenda.

Mayor’s office representative Mason Batson told the council the mayor’s office intends to pursue Cornerstone Strategies for federal lobbying work and that the existing item with Crossroads Strategies was being deleted so a separate contract with Cornerstone can be introduced at a future meeting. Batson said the change would save the parish approximately $100,000 on the contract. "Our federal lobbyists will now be, assuming we get approval, Cornerstone Strategies," Batson said on the council floor.

The council voted to delete Item 89 (Crossroads Strategies LLC) after members debated the matter on the record; one council member voted in opposition. The council then moved through a long list of items on the agenda and recorded approvals for routine and time‑sensitive actions including grant agreements, engineering supplemental agreements, demolition and abatement contracts, environmental audits, property adjudications and several administrative appointments.

Votes at a glance (selected items from the March 26 agenda):

- Item 89: Delete authorization for the mayor president to execute an agreement with Crossroads Strategies LLC for federal governmental relations services ($250,000). Outcome: deleted (motion carried; at least one council member opposed). Mayor's office said it will introduce a contract with Cornerstone Strategies at a future meeting.

- Item 90: Adoption of increased ad valorem millage rates for 2025 roll forward. Outcome: motion to approve as amended failed (see separate coverage).

- Item 92: Entity state agreement with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development for the Hardinwood Drive road diet lane reconfiguration (Louisiana Local Road Safety Program). Outcome: approved (motion carried). Councilman Dunn Jr. moved; the item carries in the record after staff described roughly $750,000–$800,000 in federal grant funding to support lane reconfiguration, pedestrian improvements and traffic calming in the Ardenwood area.

- Item 93: Rescind and direct clerk of court to cancel judgment/order recorded Nov. 20XX in City of Baton Rouge v. RZ Properties LLC (925 N. 30th Street). Outcome: approved (motion carried).

- Items 94–106: A series of contract amendments and awards including a supplemental agreement for EMS billing services (Item 94, $22,909) and multiple demolition/abatement contracts and change orders. Outcome: approved (motions carried).

- Items 107–126: Adjudicated property sales and final acceptances for various parcels were accepted and high bidders announced on the record. Outcome: approved (motions carried).

- Appointments: Erin Huffman was confirmed to the Alcoholic Beverage Control board after a motion to waive the rules and a floor vote; the council also transmitted nominations for Capital Area Human Services District appointments to the governor’s office (two names per vacancy were sent as required by statute).

Why it matters: the deletion of the Crossroads Strategies contract and the announcement of a planned Cornerstone Strategies agreement reflect a change in the mayor’s chosen federal representation and a projected fiscal saving the mayor’s office cited. The Hardinwood Drive road diet acceptance advances a locally significant street safety project that officials said will use state and federal program money to add pedestrian and traffic‑calming improvements to a fast‑developing corridor.

Speakers and testimony: Mason Batson (Mayor’s Office) explained the Crossroads/Cornerstone contract change. Transportation and drainage staff described the Hardinwood Drive Local Road Safety Program grant and its goals. Multiple council members made motions to introduce, defer, delete or approve items across the agenda; votes were recorded in the meeting minutes and by the clerk.

Next steps: the mayor’s office said it will introduce the Cornerstone Strategies contract at an upcoming meeting. Projects and contracts approved at the March 26 meeting (road diet design, demolition work, environmental audits) will move into implementation under the assigned departments and contractors specified in awarded agreements.