The Metropolitan Council held a special meeting on November 5, 2025, at 3 p.m. to receive the Mayor-President's 2026 budget message and the preliminary current expense and capital budgets. The Mayor-President presented a balanced budget proposal for the general fund and special funds, highlighting fiscal challenges from the incorporation of St. George and the need to reduce spending. Public hearings were opened for both agenda items, but no members of the public offered testimony. Council members had no questions. The council received the budget message and the preliminary budgets without a vote.
Welcome to the special meeting for the Metropolitan Council Wednesday, November 5th, 2025, 3 p.m. to receive the budget. We'll have the call to order and roll call. Quorum is not required, but Ashley, do we have a quorum? We have a quorum. A proof of notice of the meeting is going around, so council members please sign the proof of notice. We'll have item one receiving the mayor president's 2026 budget message by Mayor President. We'll hear the uh budget presentation first and then open the floor for public hearing. Mayor. Honorable members of the Metropolitan Council and the people of East Batonrooch Parish. I respectfully submit for your review and consideration, balanced budgets for the 2026 calendar year for our general fund and special funds with dedicated revenue streams. Our prudent fiscal budgeting practices have attracted praise from leading economists as well as our nation's bond rating agencies. We are taking decisive steps to maintain our reserves and essential services. Recently, our city parish's issuer rating of a AA2 was affirmed for the way in which we are managing our 1.1 billion city parish budget. Of that amount, only one third or $332 million in 2026 is not already legally dedicated for specific purposes and thus, in essence, represents our daily operations fund. Economists Dr. Lauren Scott and Dr. Jim Richardson have reviewed the revenue estimates I am presenting to you today and praised our administration for encouraging and establishing such prudence in creating the city parish budget for 2026. It is important that we align our recurring revenues with our operational expenses. The general fund budget is proposed to be reduced by approximately $15 million, which demonstrates a full year of transitioning for the loss of revenue due to the incorporation of the City of St. George, which is a revenue loss of approximately 50 million over two years. We are not in a position to use one-time fund balance resources to support recurring operations. Best practice is to maintain reserves equal to at least two months of operating cost. However, we are currently, we currently have just over one month. Using our limited reserves to fund ongoing expenses would be fiscally irresponsible and could jeopardize our long-term financial stability. Our community stands at a critical turning point. The general fund continues to face significant fiscal challenges. As you are aware, the voters will have an opportunity to vote for Thrive on November the 15th, which will mitigate some of the general fund reductions. However, the 2026 budget I am presenting to you today for the general fund does not include funding from Thrive. Reductions in the workforce is part of the overall strategy to stabilize operations, protect essential services, and maintain our reserves. Personnel costs make up the largest share of the general fund operating budget, and difficult decisions cannot be avoided. The proposed general fund work for workforce reduction is 33%, excluding police and fire. Without additional resources, the general fund will be unable to sustain current service levels in 2026. And it is important for everyone to understand the impact this will have on community services. Support for outside agencies, such as the Public Defender, the Arts Council, Food Bank, and Live After Five is proposed to continue through interest earnings from the American Rescue Plan. Without approval of Thrive, these agencies will be required to secure their own and new funding sources in 2027 to maintain operations. In the proposed 2026 budgets, funds dedicated for specific purposes are included, which makes up approximately 71% of the 2026 budget. Looking forward, our administration will continue to focus on public safety, infrastructure, blight neighborhood revitalization, youth development, and homelessness. Through federal and state funding opportunities, innovation, technology, and community partnerships, we will be able to streamline city parish operations and deliver services more efficiently and effectively. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with you, Council members, and the people of East Baton Rouge Parish to implement the budget I present to you today for your consideration. When I look ahead to 2026, our focus is to live within our means while continuing to improve quality of life for all residents. This budget is more than a financial document. It is our plan for resilience and renewal. Together, we can stabilize our finances, protect essential services, and build a stronger East Batonrooch Parish for generations to come. I am honored to work with you, Council, and the people of East Batonrooch Parish, and we're going to make it happen together. God bless. Thank you, Mayor. We'll open the public hearing for item number one. Any members of the public wishing to speak on item number one. Seeing none, we'll close the public hearing and move to council members.