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PRO: Why the Proposed City Charter For St. George Is Right Thing to Do

The proposed St. George Home Rule Charter includes several potential benefits emphasizing efficient, localized governance, and strong public engagement.  Here are some of the pros: 1. Balanced Representation • The City Council includes both district-elected and at-large members, ensuring that local neighborhoods have representation while maintaining a citywide perspective in governance. 2. Checks and Balances […]

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CON: The Charter Is Deeply Flawed, Confuses Executive, Legislative Duties

I am the co-incorporator of the City of St. George and Treasurer of the St. George Transition District. I am opposed to the St. George Home Rule Charter (HRC) that will be on the March 29, 2025, ballot. Let me state right at the begin- ning the four major problems with the proposed Charter: 1. […]

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Coach Sid Led Central by 7,470 Votes, St. George by 15,684, Insuring Victory

Former Central High head football Coach Sid Edwards scored an historic victory off the playing field Saturday night, when he was elected Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish, defeating an eight-year incumbent. Surprised Experts. Coach Sid surprised the political “experts” and defied the common wisdom to become the third Republican Mayor-President in parish history. 88 […]

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Mayor-President Broome: Long History of Strained Relations with BR Police Officers

By Woody Jenkins, Editor Central City News Over her nearly eight years as Mayor-President, Sharon Broome has had a strained relationship with Baton Rouge police officers, which has repeatedly surfaced into public view. The police have four major grievances against Broome: •The Mayor-President hasn’t had their back and is always ready to throw them under […]

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Gov. Jeff Landry Calls Legislative Session To Raise $12+ Billion in New State Taxes

By Michael Lunsford, Citizens for a New Louisiana This is the “tax reform” special session. It includes a second bite at the recent failed attempt to call a constitutional convention. Readers might remember the 2024 regular session when Louisiana’s freshly-minted Congressman-elect Cleo Fields refused to take the matter up in the Senate and Governmental Affairs […]

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Broome to Cut Police Budget $8.7 Million; Coach Promises More Police, Higher Pay

By Woody Jenkins, Editor Central City News If there was one thing Coach Sid Edwards and former Rep. Ted James agreed on in the run up to the Nov. 5 election, it was that the City of Baton Rouge needed more police officers and better pay in order to attract and keep the best possible […]

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The Campaign That Has the Most Fun Usually Wins the Election: Here’s Why

Woody Jenkins, Editor Scott McKay of TheHayride.com offered a theory in his talk on the races for President and Mayor-President at the Chamber of Commerce of East Baton Rouge two weeks ago.   He calls it the Fun Rule.  His theory is simple: Forget the polls, the mailings, the TV spots, the lies, the posturing, […]

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Scott McKay: Ted James Can’t Win

Scott McKay, The Hayride I hinted that this was coming in my signing-off-before-the-hurricane-comes post four weeks ago, and I noted the results of the poll in the Baton Rouge mayoral race. The poll in question was a JMC Analytics survey, and it dropped about five weeks ago. The results…  We’re seeing that Ted James isn’t […]

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Broome, James Bitterly Attack Each Other, Coach Sid Takes High Road in EBR Debate

If you ever want to see an example of how not to perform in a debate, watch the video from the Mayor-President debate at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church on Monday, Sept. 23.  Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and former Rep. Ted James spent the entire debate attacking one another. The bitterness that exists between the two […]

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Why I’m Voting ‘No’ on BREC Tax

Rolfe McCollister, Jr., Former Editor of the Business Report On Nov. 5, you will vote on President, Mayor-President and $700 million in property taxes for BREC. There is a 10-year tax and a 20-year tax proposition, and I will vote “No” on both measures.  Why? Because BREC is poorly managing the $100 million it spends […]

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