Baton Rouge council certifies election returns, approves 6‑mill fire tax and pay plan; hears $21M budget shortfall and citywide pay‑study update

Baton Rouge — The East Baton Rouge Metropolitan Council on Feb. 26 certified special-election returns that authorize new and renewed local fire-district millages, adopted a 6‑mill ad valorem tax to fund salary increases for municipal firefighters and approved an amendment to the municipal fire pay plan that the administration says will raise total fire payroll by $14,063,560 effective March 8, 2025.

The council heard a separate presentation from the finance department on a citywide compensation study and preliminary funding options, with administration staff warning of an expected roughly $21 million shortfall for next year that will require additional budget reductions or other revenue actions if not addressed.

The council’s actions followed public and union remarks in favor of raises for firefighters. Jake Morgan, president of the Baton Rouge Firefighter Association, thanked the council and public for support and said the plan would “bring our entire fire department up to industry standard pay.”

Why it matters: Council members and department leaders said the approved fire raises respond to a longstanding gap in pay; the compensation-study update signaled broader costs to raise wages for all city/parish employees, and leaders warned the parish faces a near-term structural funding gap that will affect whether broader raises can be implemented.

What the council approved

- Certification of special-election returns: The council unanimously moved to canvass and declare the results of multiple Nov. 5, 2024 special elections for fire protection districts and for proposed Plan of Government amendments. Those items were introduced and voted on during the meeting and recorded on the agenda as Items 97–101 and related items. Motion leading to certification was made on the floor and carried.

- 6‑mill ad valorem levy for city firefighters (Item 102): The council voted to levy 6 mills on property in the City of Baton Rouge for 10 years, beginning with the 2025 tax collection, to fund increases in salaries and benefits for City of Baton Rouge firefighters who are members of the municipal fire and police civil service system. Motion to adopt the millage passed on a council vote.

- Amendment to the municipal fire pay plan (Item 103): The council approved an amendment to the 2025 pay plan for fire employees, appropriating $14,063,560 to implement across‑the‑board municipal fire pay increases (the administration described the change as a 19% increase across municipal fire classifications). Jake Morgan, representing the Baton Rouge Firefighter Association, thanked the council and public, saying the effort had taken years to reach this point.

Administration presentation on the pay study and budget pressures

Angie Savoy of the finance department summarized the compensation study work that consultants (MAG Consultants) completed in 2024 and described follow-up implementation steps. Savoy said the consultants estimated the total cost to implement the study’s recommended pay adjustments across all city/parish employees at about $25.4 million. After excluding departments that the administration says can self-fund raises (libraries, EMS, mosquito control and other special-fund units), Savoy reported a remaining general-fund gap of roughly $17.235 million to fund recommended raises for departments that cannot self-support the increases.

Savoy told the council that the administration has already hired a benefits consultant (onboarded in January) to look for savings in benefit programs and that the Retirement Board has issued an RFP to solicit actuarial/consulting services to examine pension-design savings; the pension consultant award is expected in June.

Council members pressed for timeline and scope. Councilman Darrell Hurst, who sponsored the item requesting the report, said the administration must present quantifiable funding options before any broader raises are implemented. Hurst and other members repeatedly emphasized that the city must resolve a separate near-term budget imbalance: Savoy said preliminary planning indicates a roughly $21 million shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year that the administration must close through a combination of cuts, revenue adjustments and use of one-time balances unless new revenue is approved.

On funding mechanics and options, Savoy said some mitigation could come by permanently deleting vacant or “frozen” positions. She reported the general-fund allotment includes about 2,794 positions, with hundreds held as frozen; deleting or repurposing some of those positions would reduce the dollars needed to implement pay changes. The administration said it would bring department-level impact estimates back to the council as part of the budget process.

Council members and several speakers noted implications for public-services delivery. Councilman Hurst and others argued that bringing wages to market would help the parish recruit electricians, plumbers and other skilled trades that the city regularly needs to maintain infrastructure; others warned that layoffs or service cuts to balance the shortfall would have real public impacts.

Other notable actions and items

- Build Baton Rouge agreement (Item 108): The council approved a cooperative endeavor agreement with Build Baton Rouge and appropriated $920,000 for professional economic-development work intended to identify and eliminate blight and spur investment. The administration said the $920,000 combines $720,000 in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds and $200,000 from a franchise-fee appropriation. Rodney Braxton, chair of Build Baton Rouge, told the council the organization is naming a new CEO and is negotiating projects, including one at Plank and Choctaw that he described as potentially transformative for that corridor.

- Delta Utilities / Entergy gas asset transfer (Item 124): The council approved ordinances to accept transfer of natural-gas assets being sold by Entergy Gulf States to Delta Utilities. Representatives from Delta and Entergy said the transaction covers gas operations only (not electric service), that Delta will assume existing franchise obligations and that there are no immediate rate changes tied to the council action; Delta and Entergy said customers should not expect bill-rate increases attributable to the transfer through at least 2027. The companies said the sale is projected to close in mid‑2025 and that customer account numbers and billing information will be updated at closing.

- Contracts, settlements and routine approvals: The council approved a number of contract amendments and settlements on the consent agenda, including professional services, building-and-grounds maintenance contracts for courthouse systems, an amendment to a data-analytics contract (VINFORMATICS LLC), and local services agreements related to Visit Baton Rouge. Several settlement items were approved in open session after public comment and procedural votes.

What was discussed but not decided

Council members debated broader compensation policy and timing for general raises. The finance office and consultants outlined a phased approach: (1) immediate implementation of firefighter raises after voter authorization and council appropriation; (2) use of benefit-plan reviews and pension consulting to identify potential recurring savings; and (3) department-level funding decisions to be brought back to the council. The administration cautioned that any citywide raise program depends on closing the $21 million projected shortfall or identifying offsetting recurring revenue.

Votes at a glance (selected items from the Feb. 26 agenda)

- Item 97: Resolution — canvass and declare special-election results (fire-millage and related items). Motion carried. - Item 98–101: Resolutions — canvass/declare results for multiple fire-protection districts and Plan of Government amendments. Motions carried. - Item 102: Ordinance/Resolution — adopt 6 mills ad valorem tax for City of Baton Rouge firefighters (10-year levy beginning 2025). Motion carried. - Item 103: Ordinance/Appropriation — amend 2025 pay plan for municipal fire employees; appropriate $14,063,560; effective 03/08/2025. Motion carried. - Item 108: Cooperative Endeavor Agreement — Build Baton Rouge; appropriation $920,000 (ARP $720,000 + $200,000 franchise fee). Motion carried. - Item 111: Local services agreement and related action for Visit Baton Rouge (downtown building purchase/renovation). Motion carried. - Item 124: Ordinance amendment — approve sale/transfer of Entergy natural-gas assets to Delta Utilities, accept franchise terms. Motion carried. - Item 125: Applications to Federal Transit Administration (grant acceptance language added to caption). Motion carried as amended. - Item 151: Low bid / Scotlandville branch library renovation (phase 2) — motion carried (low bidder awarded after bid withdrawal clarification).

(For full roll-call tallies and the full consent-agenda list, see the official minutes and the docketed agenda. The council recorded motions and seconders on the floor for each item and announced the outcome as "motion carries" or equivalent for passed items.)

What council said next

Council members asked the administration to return with quantified funding options for any proposed citywide raise, including analyses of frozen positions and savings from benefits and pension changes. The administration said it expects to complete benefit-plan reviews in spring and to have the Retirement Board’s actuarial consultant under contract by June, after which more detailed funding scenarios will be prepared.

Looking ahead

Council members said they will continue to prioritize implementation of the firefighter pay increases now that voters and the council have authorized funding. The administration said it will continue work on benefit savings and pension analysis and will present department-level impact estimates to the council as the budget process advances.