In April the Metro Council approved the biggest police raise in department history. Starting pay went from about $41,000 to $58,000. Sergeants’ max went from $69,000 to $98,000. Full-year cost is around $12.5 million, up to $18 million if they hit hiring targets.

WRKF reported the money came from three places: taxes beating estimates, cuts inside BRPD, and changes in city-parish health-care spending. The Advocate said most of it came from the retiree health-plan overhaul, moving Medicare-eligible retirees onto Medicare Advantage.

In May, during the 3.5% raise for other employees, Councilwoman Jen Racca said employees were not getting a raise just to have it taken back, and that premiums were not going up.

Five months later the 2027 rate sheet shows employee costs up about 25% on the HMO and POS plans and about 35% on the high-deductible plan, plus higher deductibles. The council votes October 14. A special meeting to set these rates was canceled September 30 because the mayor’s office wasn’t ready.

Since the Kip Holden administration, a healthcare committee brought employees and administrators together to discuss costs, plans, problems, and potential changes. Employees had a voice in the process. That committee has not met under this administration. Why? That’s a fair question, and employees deserve an answer.

Citizens voted in 2024 to raise firefighters’ pay because they were so underpaid. Starting salary was about $33,000, roughly 20 percent below comparable markets. The 6-mill tax brought a 19 percent across-the-board raise, lifting starting pay to about $39,500. A 25 to 35 percent premium hike on a family plan costs roughly $2,000 to $2,800 a year, about a third to 40 percent of that raise gone. The vote was supposed to fix underpayment. The hike undoes a big piece of it.

The 2025 federal poverty level for a family of four is $32,150. After the millage raise, firefighter starting pay is about $39,500, which clears that line by roughly $7,350 a year. After taxes, a single filer in Louisiana takes home an estimated $30,000–$31,000, which sits right around or just under the poverty line for a family of four. So a firefighter supporting a spouse and two kids on starting pay is still effectively living near the poverty threshold once taxes come out.

The premium hike closes that gap further. A 25 to 35 percent increase on a family plan costs roughly $2,000 to $2,800 a year and takes a meaningful bite out of the remaining headroom. The raise was supposed to lift firefighters clear of poverty-level pay. The hike pulls them back toward it.

Medical inflation is real. St. George and the end of federal relief money created a real budget problem. None of that requires the steepest version of the fix, on short notice, after telling employees their premiums were safe.

Ascension Parish made a different call. Their school board approved its 2026 health plan renewal in June and chose to absorb the deficit rather than pass costs to employees. Same market, same medical inflation, opposite decision.

One more wrinkle: employees covering a spouse or family will have to fill out a spousal coverage verification form during open enrollment, November 2 through 20.

The vote is Wednesday. If you’re in Baton Rouge, show up at City Hall at 4 p.m. and ask for the fund statement. Ask whether poverty-level pay is the only option after years of mismanagement.

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/pac-baton-rouge-school-board-races/article_70219ffd-d446-419e-9f40-6ea13a31c86c.html

Outside interest groups are opening up their checkbooks in advance of the Nov. 3 East Baton Rouge Parish School Board elections, dwarfing the money in the hands of the candidates themselves.

The most prominent organization is the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students. The charter school-friendly nonprofit, via its two political arms, has amassed about $900,000 so far that it can spend on promoting favored candidates and opposing those disfavored. That is roughly the same as what it spent four years ago when it played a big role in a turbulent election that ended up replacing six out of nine members of the board.

By contrast, the 20 candidates running in seven races this year have raised only about $285,000 for their own campaigns, according to campaign finance reports filed earlier this month. That is less than a third of what The Alliance is bringing to bear.

The reports cover campaign activity through Sept. 24. The next report, covering activity through Oct. 14, is due Oct. 26, nine days before Election Day.

Also filing reports last week were two incumbents previously reelected without opposition: Cliff Lewis in District 5 and Patrick Martin V in District 9. Lewis had raised about $17,000, and Martin raised almost $50,000.

In addition to its influential role in local school politics, The Alliance, among other initiatives, runs an education leaders program and grants money to local community organizations.

The Alliance has close ties with City Fund, an Oregon-based pro-charter group that spends lots of money on school board races across the country. Gary Borden, a partner with City Fund, has been a board member since The Alliance was founded in 2021.

City Fund has provided much of the campaign cash for The Alliance. In April, in advance of this fall’s elections, its City Fund Action affiliate contributed $500,000. That organization does not disclose its donors, taking advantage of federal nonprofit laws that allow for donor anonymity.

“We compete with many other organizations to bring this funding to Baton Rouge on behalf of students and families, and are grateful that they have chosen to invest in the locally-shaped vision that we have for every child in Baton Rouge receiving their birthright of an excellent education,” said Adonica Duggan, The Alliance’s founder and CEO.

The other big Alliance-affiliated donor this election is Mike Bloomberg who in April contributed $250,000. Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, is a prominent charter school supporter.

Unlike 2022, Duggan’s organization is supporting three of the four incumbents campaigning for reelection.

“The growth and positive momentum in the school system over this last four-year term have made the 2026 election one about continuing and accelerating that progress, and driven the (political action committee) to support those incumbent candidates who it felt had a strong part in initiating it and a commitment to seeing it through,” Duggan said.

Even so, Duggan would not foreswear going negative if necessary.

“You may see opposition spending focused on any candidates the (political action committee) feels may be barriers to building on the progress of the last four years,” she said. Less money, spending just starting

Overall, fundraising and spending in the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board races looks to be notably less than in 2022, when the overall price tag topped out north of $2.5 million.

The average candidate this year has raised about $14,000 so far, down from about $19,000 four years ago at this point in the election. The 20 candidates so far have spent about half the money they have raised.

Eight have raised less than $5,000 for their campaigns, with three raising $0. They are Edna Buchanan, District 2; Stephen Smith, District 3; and Tristan Yperman, District 6.

One once prominent outside group, Stand for Children Louisiana, is no longer a player after it was shuttered in summer 2024 by its parent organization in Portland, Oregon. Stand for Children Louisiana spent roughly $900,000 in 2022, nearly matching The Alliance’s spending. Unlike The Alliance, Stand supported several incumbents who either lost or were nearly defeated.

The Baton Rouge Alliance helps candidates directly, and it also conducts campaigns independent of the candidates. The latter is where most of the money is spent.

Direct giving comes from its Baton Rouge Alliance for Students Action group. That organization has endorsed nine of the 20 candidates running. It has given them at least $41,000 so far. Only District 4 incumbent Shashonnie Steward has yet to report her Alliance contribution. These checks to candidates have ranged from $3,000 to $6,000.

Independent campaign spending is handled by another Alliance entity, Red Stick Leaders for Students IE PAC.

Red Stick Leaders has reported spending about $61,000 of the nearly $881,000 it has raised for the Nov. 3 election. It has initially focused on just four of its nine endorsed candidates.

Duggan wouldn’t say whether Red Stick Leaders will spend all of its war chest.

“The (political action committee) is committed to spending what is necessary to support the candidates our board has chosen to endorse,” Duggan said.

Other outside groups that have in the past spent money in local school board elections are starting to get active.

FuturePAC has reported contributing a total of $15,000 — five $3,000 checks. This is a political action committee affiliated with the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership — formerly the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. It has yet to report its contributions for three of its eight endorsed candidates: Megan Garretson in District 1, Steward in District 4 and Michael Vincent in District 7.

The Louisiana chapter of Democrats for Education Reform, or DFER, has endorsed four candidates but has yet to report any spending this cycle. Also yet to report spending is DFER’s political arm, Education Reform Now Advocacy, or ERNA, though it has begun running online ads.

A new player this year is Mayor-President Sid Edwards. The former football coach has endorsed all four fellow Republicans running for school board, contributing $200 each to their campaigns. Edwards has also endorsed another former football coach, Robert Signater Sr., a Democrat, who is running in District 2. Candidates raising the most

Newcomer Hannah Amoroso reported raising $35,137, the most of any of the 20 candidates on the ballot. She is one of three candidates seeking to represent District 7, which covers many of the neighborhoods immediately south of LSU. Amoroso led the field as well with the most individual donors, 142. Their contributions ranged from $20 to $2,000. She has more than $25,000 left for the remainder of her campaign.

Amoroso’s opponents, Chris Spalatin and Michael Vincent, have raised substantial money themselves — $24,645 and $31,330, respectively. They also have received $6,000 each in direct contributions along with independent spending on their behalf from Alliance-affiliated entities.

Mailers from Red Stick Leaders have begun filling up mailboxes across the parish. The only independent spending reported so far, though, is a $6,720 payment for a mailer supporting Spalatin.

District 7 is a historically competitive seat. Mike Gaudet, who has represented the district since 2017, opted not to run for a third term. Gaudet had to fight to stay in the job. In 2022, he won reelection by only 144 votes.

Incumbent Nathan Rust has amassed the most money overall, nearly $49,000 overall. He is seeking a second term representing District 6, which is almost entirely within the city of St. George. About half of Rust’s funds are what he has raised this year, and the other half is what he had in the bank coming into the election. He still has about $26,000 left that he can spend.

Rust has two opponents vying to replace him: Nicole Fitzgerald and Yperman. Fitzgerald reported raising almost $7,000, with almost $2,000 in the bank. Yperman has reported no fundraising or spending so far.

We are looking for a pet sitter or boarding place that is knowledgable with aggressive dogs. We have never boarded our dogs before.

I have two small dogs that bark at strangers. They are a bit particular sometimes, and are known to snap if handled incorrectly.

I do not want to send them to a boarding places that keeps them in a cage all day, or hire someone who has no experience with how to handle dogs.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Hi, I figured Id reach out to the community and see if anyone was willing. I stupidly overinflated my tires (to the point where I couldn't pump anymore) and then went for a ride. The back tire popped like 20 minutes in. I quickly lost my patience trying to follow YT videos about replacing the inner tube. Ive taken the tire and tube off the rim but cant figure out how to get the wheel off the bike.Ive taken to riding pretty regularly and would appreciate if someone could not only fix it but show me how while they are at it. Im in WBR and can give like f or t .y for your time, if you come to me. It is a basic huffy.

I'm looking for recommendations for a Louisiana attorney who handles legal malpractice cases on behalf of clients, rather than defending attorneys.

I've had difficulty finding firms that take these types of cases and would appreciate recommendations from anyone who has experience with this area of law.

I have documentation available for a private consultation and am looking for an attorney willing to evaluate a potential claim.

I'm open to attorneys throughout Louisiana.

Kelly Clarkson referred to it as the "Pretty Woman" moment where Julia Roberts goes into a store and is basically told you don't look like you can afford anything in here.

I had that happen fairly recently in a very nice art/interior store on Perkins close to Acadian. It had very unpleasant vibes as if they were looking me over. I mean hey I've got the money but I'm sure as hell not going to spend it in a place that makes people feel that way.

The weather was so pretty today that I bought a pole and some beer and I CAUGHT A FISH!! At the BREC park on Perkins. I’m gonna eat it! (lighter for scale)

anyone know of any weekend bartending gigs? i’m looking for a saturday gig

I am 27 and not understanding why car rentals are so dang on expensive . I need a car rental for literally one day going 3 hours away . Turo keeps saying I can’t be verified and everywhere is insanely expensive apparently I need to be past the 30 mark. Ran across something called Auto Europe , has anyone used that before? I’m a bit skeptical . Literally have a perfect driving record.. dkkk wth lmao

Did you know The Walls Project operates a five-acre community farm at BREC's Howell Park and 11 satellite gardens throughout North Baton Rouge? Our program, Baton Roots' mission to grow fresh food that is distributed throughout the community for free. Every Friday, we host a volunteer event where we teach, plant, harvest, and enjoy the joy of growing fresh food.

It takes a village to keep it all growing year round, so on November 21, we're inviting you to the Baton Roots Community Farm at Howell Park to see firsthand what our community has built and help us celebrate another incredible year for our Boots on the Farm-to-Table dinner.

We would love to see you there!

I was on self injecting pens that I could handle doing own my own but due to insurance no longer covering it I am getting a vial from a weight loss clinic. I just get nervous doing this on my own and was wondering if there was somewhere I can go for help bc I don’t have any friends or family that are nurses or anything to help me.

Need some good shit nothing bunk!

I'm looking for a good family attorney that can help with custody case. Any recommendation's ?

Trying to get my life back together after some personal stuff. What gym is the best in your opinion?

I live off of O'Neal. Id like one that you can use your membership anywhere, but im not a fan of Planet Fitness. One that also allows your membership to add a guest.

Hey everyone! I am finally breaking out of my depression and making an effort to find new friends in the area. I am a 27M (Black) looking to meet with new folks in the BR area. I am a transplant here (originally from Chicago) but I have been here for 5 years. The reason I have not met anyone here is because I have had work from home jobs during my time here.

I am newly single after being in a long-term relationship and need to find ways to get out of the house so I figured this would be a good spot to start.

I’ve recently been hitting the gym consistently (Anytime Fitness on Jefferson) and would be down for a gym buddy.

I love watching sports (basketball and football), going out, listening to music, bars, food, cars, gaming, politics, etc. I’d be down to trying new things as well.

As long as you aren’t a Trump supporter, I think we’d get along just fine🕺🏾

Just drove past highland road park and there were cars everywhere. I couldn't find anything on their facebook or local events calendar. Anyone know what this is?​

I've seen a bunch of docks downtown for WeBike BR, but have never once actually seen a bike at those docks and have never seen anyone riding one. Visiting their website, it looks like it's an active program, which makes me even more confused at to what these are. Does anyone know if this is an actually active rental e-bike program that just has way too few bikes available or if they just haven't gotten started yet?

Hi everyone! I’ve never posted on reddit before but I think this is the best place for what I want to ask. I’m a photography student at LSU and I am looking for trans/non binary people to model for one of my projects. You do not need any modeling experience, and you can wear whatever you want and I will pose you. Feel free to go crazy with outfits and you can bring pose ideas as well! It’s pretty laid back and I’ll send you the photographs! If you or someone you know is interested please reach out to me on instagram @persickepics since I do not check reddit

Thanks guys!

EDIT: I’ll be working on this into April 2027 so if you see it late please still reach out!
Also: here’s a brief project description. my project is a black and white large format portrait series for my senior project and honors capstone. ive been thinking about the argument that republicans have that “you can always tell” when someone is not cis so ive been photographing my cisgendered friends and now am reaching out for more trans people to include in the series. im blending them together into the show to prove that you cant tell when someone is trans and highlighting that we’re just the same as someone whos cis rather than focusing gender non conforming people alone

Just looking for a place to play I already go to some but they all start super late and wanted to see if it had any people who play middle of day