Mayor should listen – Editorial

Mayor Kip Holden has enjoyed both stellar success and stunning defeat at the hands of voters in East Baton Rouge Parish. As he embarks on an unprecedented third run at a bond issue tax vote—on which the definitive achievement of his two terms in office hangs—our mayor would do well to listen before he starts talking again about his dream for the parish.

Holden seems to have no problem asking residents to pony up tax dollars during tough economic times in order to make Baton Rouge better. He asked voters to approve more than $900 million in taxes to fund public projects ranging from essential to extravagant when pensions were shrinking and economic growth skidded to a halt.

Now, he’s launching the effort again as the worst economic times since the early 1980s continue to grip Baton Rouge.

But to be taken seriously as a true government leader, the mayor would do well to hear and embrace calls by the Metro Council to operate more efficiently. For example, Chandler Loupe’s plan to study energy use to modernize utility use in the governmental complex. Rather than getting defensive about questions over the crime camera system, Holden should know it’s not whether the cameras are legitimate, but rather, why officials were surprised to be spending $400,000 to maintain a system that doesn’t seem to work properly. And, he should give an accurate assessment of what it costs to operate the Police Department’s new state-of-the-art helicopter.

Our mayor needs to be the kind of leader who is open about the government finances he’s responsible for before voters will take him seriously about cutting further into theirs.