DALLAS — The East Baton Rouge Parish, La., Metro Council will meet next week in a special session to debate rescinding its decision to set a November election date for a proposed $900.8 million bond package.
The Oct. 12 session was requested by councilors Chandler Loupe, Joel Boé, and Trae Welch.
It would take seven votes on the 12-member council to rescind the 9-to-3 decision on Sept. 2 setting the election.
Welch said questions about whether Louisiana has clear title to a parcel of land along the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge need to be resolved before the bond election is held.
The 16-acre site for the proposed $225 million nature attraction known as Alive is between the protective levee and the river, and is often under water.
“People aren’t really ready to vote on something that might not happen,” Welch said. “Alive was supposed to have been the economic driver to get everything done.”
Walker said councilors were assured this summer that Louisiana’s ownership of the land was not in question, and that the state would spend $40 million to develop the site before leasing it to the parish for the Alive attraction.
Unless the election is postponed, voters will go to the polls Nov. 14 to decide on an additional 0.5% sales tax and an increase in the property tax rate of 9.9 mills for 30 years to support the bonds. Revenue from the taxes is estimated at $71.5 million a year.
Bond proceeds would provide the $225 million needed for the Alive project, along with $178.3 million for drainage efforts in the parish, $141.2 million for expansions and additions to the downtown convention center, $135 million for a prison, and $92.5 million for a public safety complex.
A state district judge said in 2004 that the land is owned by Louisiana but also determined that Illinois Central Railroad Co. had valid right-of-way claims that had to be resolved before the site could be developed.
The state Department of Administration said there are no negotiations under way with the railroad over the land dispute.
Welch said he would support an election in spring 2010 on the bond package proposed by Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden. Holden said last week he would oppose any effort to move the election date.
Mayor pro tempore Mike Walker said the bond election should not be postponed.
“I don’t think we want to take that opportunity from either side,” he told reporters on Thursday. “I believe we should allow both parties to go to the polls so they can tell us what they want us to do.”
Mike Futtrell, chief administrative officer for the parish, said the land ownership questions can be easily resolved after the election.
“No council member has talked to the mayor about this,” he said. “No council member has even asked to speak to the mayor about this.”
The parish’s sales tax bonds have underlying ratings of A2 from Moody’s Investors Service, and A-plus from Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings.
