Edwards unveils 2027 budget proposal post-St. George

Baton Rouge Mayor Presents 2027 Budget, a Year After St. George Cuts

It’s a story of two cities, or at least two budgets, for Baton Rouge. A year after the city-parish was forced to slash hundreds of jobs and services to absorb the financial blow of St. George’s incorporation, Mayor-Sid Edwards unveiled his proposed 2027 budget on Thursday. This new plan, nearly 1.2 billion dollars on paper, marks a subtle pivot from the era of deep cuts to one of cautious stabilization, theadvocate.com reported. The general fund, which pays for core services like police and fire, sits at an estimated $344.7 million, a figure the mayor calls “balanced” as it closely matches projected revenue.

The Ghost of St. George and the “Thrive” Initiative That Failed

Let’s be clear: this budget exists in the shadow of a past crisis. The financial pain didn’t start with Edwards, but with the 2022 formation of the new City of St. George, which peeled away a wealthy tax base from Baton Rouge. The loss was profound. Then, in 2025, Mayor Edwards’s own “Thrive” tax rededication initiative failed at the polls, a move he hoped would cushion the financial blow. The combination was catastrophic. The city responded with layoffs, cutting over 200 employees, and eliminating more than 200 unfilled positions. The result was a leaner, but visibly strained, city-parish government.

“As we enter our third year, we continue to adjust to a new operational norm,” Edwards told the Metro Council on Thursday, a clear acknowledgment that the era of crisis management isn’t over. His focus, he said, must now extend beyond simple workforce reductions to “ensuring we meet our ongoing responsibilities.” It’s a delicate dance, trying to restore services without repeating the fiscal mistakes of the past.

A Police Pay Raise and the Push to Rebuild the Force

One of the most visible signs of this new approach is the focus on public safety. The budget proposal comes on the heels of a significant 15% pay raise for Baton Rouge police officers, approved back in April. Police Chief T.J. Morse says the investment is already paying off in a tangible way.

“There was a huge increase in the number of people reaching out and applying, so big that I had to give them another full-time body just to process the applications, emails and the phone calls that were coming through,” Morse said.

Still, the department is a long way from full strength. Morse currently has about 520 officers, a far cry from the nearly 700 on the roster before the cuts. His budget includes funding to hire up to 90 more officers to reach budgeted levels, with another 86 frozen positions that could potentially be unfilled. The plan also allocates money for new police cars and fleet maintenance, a direct response to years of deferred upkeep that left the BRPD with an aging and unreliable vehicle inventory.

Baton Rouge unveils $1.16 Million Dollar budget for 2027 as Public Safety funding concerns grow

The Looming Legal Battle Over the District Attorney’s Funding

For all the focus on rebuilding, the budget proposal also highlights a major unresolved conflict: the funding for the District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Hillar Moore, who was reelected to a fourth term this week, has made it clear he believes his office is drastically underfunded. His office has requested $22.7 million for 2027, a stark contrast to the $8.3 million it currently receives and the $850,000 increase the city-parish added earlier this year. The new budget, however, proposes no additional funding for the DA’s office, a stance that has already led Moore to file a lawsuit seeking more money.

The city-parish’s position is that it must maintain fiscal discipline. They point to their success in preserving the city-parish’s bond rating last year, even as other major Louisiana cities saw theirs downgraded, as proof that their tough decisions have strengthened the financial foundation. This new budget proposes to increase general revenue and spending by 3.7%, a modest growth rate designed to avoid repeating past mistakes.

The situation, however, is complicated by a massive federal grant. On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a $63.5 million, three-year grant for Baton Rouge. The money is earmarked for expanding patrols, improving police technology, and hiring more prosecutors. Councilman Rowdy Gaudet sees this as a temporary but crucial lifeline.

“I believe the grant announcement will at least play a role in providing the district attorney some immediate funding that will assist in some of the needs that office has,” Gaudet said. “That’s not a permanent solution. I don’t think that makes the lawsuit go away.” Councilman Rowdy Gaudet

Council Members Dig in, Questioning the “New Normal”

As the council begins its review, questions are flying. Councilman Cleve Dunn, who was unable to attend preliminary briefings, voiced the concern on everyone’s mind. “Is the damage done?” he asked, directly questioning whether the city-parish has truly adjusted to the financial realities of the St. George breakaway or if more pain is inevitable. Dunn is also digging into past budgets, looking for inefficiencies in unfunded positions that could be redirected to more pressing needs.

Councilman Darryl Hurst, who did attend the earlier meetings, was more direct about the process ahead. He confirmed that he expects to see budget amendments before the final vote on December 8th, describing them as “modest money shifts” meant to “level-set” spending. The council’s job now is to dissect the 510-page document, a process that will begin in earnest with a series of budget hearings with department heads next week.