After months of public debate and rigorous support from many parish officials, East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Kip Holden’s $901 million capital improvement tax package was defeated by voters Saturday.The package failed with only 36 percent of parish-wide voters, or 25,766 votes, in favor of the proposed tax. The other 64 percent, or 45,851 voters, opposed the tax package and killed Holden’s hopes for long-term downtown Baton Rouge improvements, which included parking garages and traffic solutions.The tax package consisted of a half-cent sales tax increase and a 9.9-mill  property tax. The proposal was akin to a measure which narrowly failed last November with 90,464 against and 87,393 in favor.Revenues from the tax would have been used to carry about $800 million in bonds to pay for most of the projects with the rest of the improvements paid for over time.Mike Futrell, chief administrative officer for Holden’s office, said 25 percent of the taxes would have been used to fund downtown infrastructure improvements. He said 75 percent of the funds would have been spent parish-wide.”We have to stop thinking like a small town and start thinking about growing into a 21st century city,” Futrell said Friday. “You can’t have great business without great infrastructure.”Downtown improvement projects would have included a new Public Safety Complex, traffic light synchronization and two new parking garages. Parish-wide drainage projects and a new parish prison were also included in the vote.The taxes also would have funded the Alive Riverfront Attraction downtown, which Holden has described as a major economic engine which would have brought millions in private investments downtown.The Alive project was strongly protested by groups like the Baton Rouge Tea Party, which generally opposes new taxes.Dwight Hudson, legislative action chairman for the BRTP, said the organization did not oppose infrastructure improvements, but said they were against city ownership of Alive.”There is no private investment willing to come in and take the risk for the project,” Hudson said. “That should have been a red flag for voters.”Hudson said he was against Holden packaging the various improvement projects into a simple yes or no vote. Many East Baton Rouge Parish voters felt the same way.”Holden did like Obama is doing with health care,” said 70-plus-year-Baton Rouge-resident Al, who did not give his last name outside a polling station. “He rolled it all up and tried to push it through.”Al said he may have voted in favor of certain issues, but he said he felt like his choices were limited by the package vote.Though the package failed, it was supported by many high-profile characters including Democrats Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu and Sen. Mary Landrieu. The tax was also supported by the mayor, police chief and fire chief of the city of Baker.The Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce and several local labor Unions also supported the proposal.—-Contact Adam Duvernay at [email protected]