The number of signatures on the petition to incorporate the proposed new city of St. George – which would be located in south Baton Rouge – continued to climb this weekend after the petition successfully reached 3,000 signatures last week.
While the updated number of signatures hasn’t been tallied, the turnout was relatively high, said Norman Browning, one of the chairpersons for The City of St. George incorporation effort. The petition signing locations are moved every weekend to make it more convenient for people who want to sign the petition.
The petition must be signed by 25 percent of the registered voters residing within the proposed city of St. George before it can have the chance to incorporate into a city. The petition must be signed in person and there are three to four locations spread throughout the area.
The creation of the city of St. George should not affect University students from the area. Browning said the only change is that students and other citizens would be able to identify themselves with the city of St. George instead of an area outside of Baton Rouge.
While Browning said St. George isn’t currently a part of the city of Baton Rouge – just East Baton Rouge Parish – he said the residents intend to stay in the parish. Browning also said St. George would still have the same role in the parish but would be recognized as a city.
Browning said the incorporation wouldn’t have any negative effects on the parish taxes.
If St. George incorporates to create its own city, it will continue to pay the same taxes it is currently paying.
However, not everyone is optimistic about the proposed city.
Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden has expressed disapproval of the plan for incorporation. In addition, the Facebook page for the proposed city contains messages of confusion about how the incorporation would work.
“I don’t really like the idea, because before the incorporation movement, some of the area wanted to break away from East Baton Rouge school system. And a good way to do that is incorporation,” Jamal Mickel, international studies sophomore and resident of the St. George area, said in a Facebook message.
But Morganne Ashley, resident of the St. George area and philosophy sophomore, said she believes if St. George becomes its own city it could create many benefits for the area and its residents.
“There are so many parents that have already invested in private school that I don’t know how public schools would change much,” Ashley said.
While some University
students said they are confused about how the incorporation of St. George will affect the school system there, others said the incorporation would improve aspects of the area, but they said they simply do not understand the specifics of what will change.
Browning said he and the other chairmen are working to clarify these future changes.
The chairpersons for The City of St. George incorporation effort reached out to city council members and other local officials to inform them of the possible effects the incorporation of St. George could cause and assure officials the St. George area will finance them even if it becomes its own city.
St. George will have a 2 percent sales tax that will be given directly back to the community of St. George, and the other taxes will continue to fund all of the other aspects of local government the taxes currently fund.