The Million Dollar Man: One Person CAN Make a Difference

BATON ROUGE — On Thursday night, one courageous man saved the taxpayers of East Baton Rouge Parish $1.5 million.  That man was John Taylor of Zachary, an appointed member of the the Board of Commissioners of BREC.

The Board room at BREC headquarters on Florida Boulevard was packed when BREC chairman Kenneth Riche called the public hearing to order on a $1.5 million property tax increase — the so-called “roll forward” of property tax millages.

Once in every four years, a public body that levies property taxes can roll forward the millages by a two-thirds’ vote of the total membership of the body.  The BREC Board has nine members, which means six votes were needed to pass the tax.

Across the parish, taxing bodies could raise property taxes by more than $10 million over the next two months.

Speaking against the tax increase were City Council candidate Buddy Amoroso, businessman Dwight Hudson, Chamber of Commerce of East Baton Rouge executive director Bob Breaux and vice chairman Bob Burns, and Republican Party spokesman Judge Darrell White and parish GOP chairman Woody Jenkins.  No member of the public spoke in favor of the tax increase.

After the public hearing was held, a couple of commissioners spoke briefly in favor of the tax increase but provided no explanation of why the $1.5 million in additional funds was needed.

Then there was a bomb shell.

Commission member John Taylor took the microphone and said, “I’m from Zachary.  I was appointed to this body in January, and I know what it is to live on a fixed income.  In fact, there’s no such thing as fixed income — it’s all out-go!  I’m not going to vote for this tax!”

The audience applauded.  Chairman Kenneth Riche instructed the secretary to call the roll.  The vote was five for, one against, and three absent.  Most people in the audience thought the tax had easily passed 5-1.  But the chairman announced that it failed.  He well knew that six votes were required.

After adjournment, the mood of the crowd of business owners and Republican and conservative activists was bouyant.  They congratulated and thanked John Taylor — the million dollar man who saved East Baton Rouge Parish taxpayers $1.5 million.

Republican parish chairman Woody Jenkins said it was a big victory in the GOP’s effort to stop the roll forward of millage rates in East Baton Rouge Parish.  “The taxpayers had a good night!” Jenkins said.

Photo: Judge Darrell White, who represented the Republican Party; Metro Council Buddy Amoroso, BREC commissioner John Taylor, and Taxbusters’ Glenda Pollard and Elizabeth Dent.