Library’s Dedicated Millage FAQs

NO! This is a renewal of the Library’s existing dedicated millage, NOT a new tax. Voters approved 11.1 mills for the Library’s Dedicated Property Tax in 1995, 2005, and 2015.  The renewal at 11.1 mills is on the ballot on Saturday, November 15, 2025. 

The “Thrive! Baton Rouge” plan is a new funding approach for the East Baton Rouge Parish Library system, aiming to ensure its long-term stability while also addressing the City-Parish’s financial needs. It involves a re-allocation of a certain portion of Library taxes to the CityParish’s General Fund, but with a compromise that allows the Library to retain a DEDICATED millage and a significant portion of its Fund Balance, which preserves the Capital Improvements Plan. The plan also includes a one-time re-allocation of a portion of the Library’s savings in Fund Balance to pay down the Parish-Wide General Fund Debt. 

It is important to note that there are NO NEW TAXES in the Thrive Plan. 

Here’s a breakdown of the key aspects of the plan:

Dedicated Annual Millage:

The Library will retain a DEDICATED millage rate of 8.3 mills, which will generate an annual budget of approximately $48.14 million. This revenue is sufficient to maintain Library hours of operation and services at all locations through 2035 and protects the public’s previous investment. 

Fund Balance:

Under the Thrive Plan, the Library will retain $60 Million in savings in its Fund Balance, which preserves the Capital Improvements Plan and supports future operational and insurance needs.  The Thrive Plan also includes a one-time re-allocation of $52.4 million from the Library’s savings in Fund Balance to pay down the Parish-Wide General Fund Debt. Paying down existing debt will free up an additional $9.4 million in recurring revenue for the City-Parish.

City-Parish General Fund:

2.8 mills of the Library’s annual property tax will be re-allocated to the City-Parish General Fund, to be applied to infrastructure needs outlined in the Stormwater Master Plan as well as Street Maintenance projects.  https://stormwater.brla.gov/  

Community Input:

The Thrive Plan is a result of collaboration and compromise between the Mayor-President’s office, the Metro Council, and Library officials, taking into account community feedback and concerns. 

Public Vote:

The plan was approved unanimously by the Metro Council in May and will be put to a public vote on Saturday, November 15, 2025. In essence, the “Thrive! Baton Rouge” Plan aims to secure the Library’s future while also addressing broader City-Parish financial needs, such as debt reduction and investment in other essential infrastructure projects, without any new taxes.  In addition to the Library, Mosquito Abatement and Rodent Control (MARC) and the Council on Aging (COA) have agreed to be partners in the Thrive Plan.  

The most important feature of the Thrive proposal is that the Library’s recurring millage remains DEDICATED.  

Under the Thrive proposal, the Library will renew its millage of 11.1 mills.  The Library will then operate annually going forward on 8.3 mills and re-allocate 2.8 mills from that renewal to the City-Parish General Fund. As a result, a net funding impact of $16.4 Million annually will go to City-Parish for Infrastructure → Stormwater Master Plan and Street Maintenance. 

Link to Stormwater Master Plan: https://stormwater.brla.gov/  

Link to 311 Dashboard: https://ebrgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/e4cc8340ddb1427fbc8788ffe8056c46

Further, the Library will make a one-time re-allocation of $52.4 Million from its Fund Balance to the City-Parish General Fund, which will be used to pay down the Parish-Wide General Fund Debt. 

Through careful study, the Library has determined that 8.3 mills is sufficient to keep all hours of operations at all locations for the next 10 years; receiving 8.3 mills annually also allows the Library to maintain a variety of Library programs, services, collections and resources. The Library will retain $60 Million in its Fund Balance, which preserves the Capital Improvements Plan (CIP). This allows the Library to continue with updates and improvements over the next 10 years, as outlined in the CIP. Savings in Fund Balance will also support future operational and insurance needs. https://www.ebrpl.com/about/capital-improvements/  

The election to vote for this tax millage takes place on Saturday, November 15, 2025.   Polls will be open from 7:00 am through 8:00 pm. Locate your polling place at the Louisiana Voter Portal: https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/  

The Library’s CURRENT 10-Year Dedicated Property Tax EXPIRES in December 2025. This comprises almost 100% of the Library’s Funding. SO … If the Tax Proposal FAILS on November 15, 2025, the Library will receive ZERO new revenue in January 2026. The Library would begin to use funds from its savings in Fund Balance in order to continue to operate.
The Library would then have to go back out to the voters with a new millage proposition sometime in 2026. There are several possible dates for such an election in 2026. 
SOS.la.gov currently lists these four elections on the schedule for 2026: April 18, May 30, November 3, and December 12. The Metro Council must approve any NEW Tax Election to take place in 2026. 
It is important to note that the revenues from a successful 2026 election, regardless of the date of the election, would not be received by the Library until January 2027.
The Library’s Fund Balance could sustain operations for at least one year. The longer the Library “lives off its savings,” the greater the impact on the Capital Improvements Plan and all future planning.  

Early voting begins 11/01/2025 and ends 11/08/2025 (excluding Sunday) at several locations in East Baton Rouge Parish:

Central Branch Library, 11260 Joor Road, Central, LA 
Baton Rouge City Hall, 222 St. Louis St., Baton Rouge, LA
State Archives, 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 
Fire Station, 11010 Coursey, Baton Rouge, LA 
Motor Vehicle Building, 2250 Main Street, Baker, LA
Hours for early voting at these locations are: 8:30 am through 6:00 pm

Deadline to register to vote for this election, either in person or by mail, is 10/15/2025.
Voters may register at these locations: 

Registrar of Voters Main Office
City Hall
222 Saint Louis St., Room 201
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
225-389-3940

Baker Office
Department of Motor Vehicles Building 2250
2250 Main St.
Baker, LA 70714
225-389-5206

Coursey Office
Fire Station Building
11010 Coursey Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
225-389-7682

Deadline to register to vote for this election using GEAUX VOTE is 10/25/2025. www.GeauxVote.com

Additionally, the Library hosts a Voters Registration Drive each year with the Registrar of Voters; this year it is scheduled for week of August 25 at all locations. Consult the August SOURCE newsletter or the online calendar of events for specific dates and times.

Deadline to request a Mail Ballot from the Registrar is 11/12/2025.  

Deadline for the Registrar to receive a completed Mail Ballot is 11/14/2025. 

comms@brla.gov – EBR Mayor-President’s email address
metrocouncil@brla.gov – Metro Council email address
https://www.brla.gov/561/ – Metropolitan-Council homepage for the Metro Council
https://www.brla.gov/councilcomment – Public Comment form
dmcdavid@cityofzachary.org – Zachary Mayor’s email address
wade.evans@central-la.gov – Central Mayor’s email address
dwaites@cityofbakerla.com – Baker Mayor’s email address
dustin.yates@stgeorgela.gov – City of St.George Mayor’s email address