School Board Votes On $15 Million Tax At Meeting Tonight

BATON ROUGE — The East Baton Rouge School Board could approve $15 million in additional property taxes without a vote of the people at a 5 p.m. meeting tonight at the school board office on South Foster Drive.

The board could by-pass voters by “rolling forward” property taxes.  It would mean an additional $3.7 million in new taxes each year, or about $15 million over a four-year period.

It would take a two-thirds’ vote of the 11-member board, or at least eight votes.  The vote is expected to be close and both pro-tax and anti-tax advocates are expected to be on hand.  Conservatives are looking to Republican board members Jerry Alford, Connie Bernard, Barbara Freiberg, Randy Lamana, Jill Dyason, and David Tatman for possible “no” votes.  The meeting is open to the public.