St. George City Incorporation News

[dan326]

^ Please proofread, your grammar is only proving STG's necessity.

[Mr. Burnham]

I think that the reason so many people are against St. George is because they feel that Baton Rouge finally has a shot to become a larger and more important city and that St. George is taking away that opportunity by bringing growth out of BR proper and putting it in St. George. 

 

I agree that it is always nice to have a smaller CBD (and the St. George area/BRHD would be great) but I don't think that St. George is as underdeveloped as places like Baker, Zachary, and Central are. The area that St. George would occupy is very much connected and essential to daily Baton Rouge life. 

[greg225]

^ Please proofread, your grammar is only proving STG's necessity.

I don't care hate St George  I proofread that.

[greg225]

I think that the reason so many people are against St. George is because they feel that Baton Rouge finally has a shot to become a larger and more important city and that St. George is taking away that opportunity by bringing growth out of BR proper and putting it in St. George. 

 

I agree that it is always nice to have a smaller CBD (and the St. George area/BRHD would be great) but I don't think that St. George is as underdeveloped as places like Baker, Zachary, and Central are. The area that St. George would occupy is very much connected and essential to daily Baton Rouge life. 

I agree 

[cajun]

^ I agree. And having St. George would be an attractive option for people moving from big metros who are used to suburbs with amenities and a sense of place.

This. It will be more like the Atlanta metro or some of the Texas cities with numerous public school options.

[cajun]

I think that the reason so many people are against St. George is because they feel that Baton Rouge finally has a shot to become a larger and more important city and that St. George is taking away that opportunity by bringing growth out of BR proper and putting it in St. George.

I agree that it is always nice to have a smaller CBD (and the St. George area/BRHD would be great) but I don't think that St. George is as underdeveloped as places like Baker, Zachary, and Central are. The area that St. George would occupy is very much connected and essential to daily Baton Rouge life.

I don't see it that way at all. I see a new school district as a catalyst for growth in the Capital region, of which Baton Rouge is the center and the primary beneficiary - especially in attracting younger professionals.....remember, "Baton Rouge" is run by a parish metro government. It's tax base is rooted in the entire parish.

The primary problem with the Baton Rouge metro, IMO, is the lack of professional opportunities for people outside of the oil industry or in the public sector. I think that Louisiana, for all of it's problems, may finally be in a position to attract new employers and industries to the region over the next 20 years. I want the Baton Rouge metro to benefit from that trend and to be prepared for it.

Companies looking to relocate to the gulf south because of lower wages and tax incentives can choose downtown Baton Rouge and have a diverse range of living and housing options for their employees within a few miles. I see this as becoming a major advantage for the whole region. Older employees who need good public schools can live in St George and still contribute to the parish tax base. People with special needs kids can choose Baton Rouge magnets and charters and still contribute to the parish tax base. People without kids can live downtown or in the garden district and still contribute to the parish tax base. Unless you wanted an actual 50 acre ranch, there'd be no reason to move away from East Baton Rouge.

You'd eliminate the incentive for moving all the way out to Livingston or Ascension parish once people reach childbearing ages.....which is typically when they reach their maximum earning potential professionally. That 35-45 year old age group is, to be frank, a great tax base to have because of their peak earnings and spending power.

A competitive municipal school district in the southern part of EBR could be the best tool I've seen to fight sprawl in years. People driving past St George on their way home to Ascension or Livingston from their jobs downtown or at LSU would be hard pressed not to consider moving back to EBR.

Baton Rouge could be less like a small town, and more like Atlanta or Houston.....literally with great living options for people of all ages and all walks of life. That's a great selling point in recruiting companies to the region and positioning the area for growth.

Unless you are actually on the EBR parish school payroll and don't want to lose control over ADA funding for kids in St George (in which case, you should be ashamed for doing a pathetic job for all these years) or if you are a real estate developer in Livingston or Ascension, there isn't much logic to feeling threatened by a new municipality in EBR.

We all complain how it's "business as usual" in Louisiana and that public schools fight any effort to create competitive pressure or to innovate. Here is an opportunity to shake things up and improve life in East Baton Rouge. Nothing discussed on urban planet will have a greater potential impact on the attractiveness of the capital region and the quality of life in EBR than a new municipality with a competitive school district, IMO.

Edited February 6, 2015 by cajun

[greg225]

I don't see it that way at all. I see a new school district as a catalyst for growth in the Capital region, of which Baton Rouge is the center and the primary beneficiary - especially in attracting younger professionals.....remember, "Baton Rouge" is run by a parish metro government. It's tax base is rooted in the entire parish.

The primary problem with the Baton Rouge metro, IMO, is the lack of professional opportunities for people outside of the oil industry or in the public sector. I think that Louisiana, for all of it's problems, may finally be in a position to attract new employers and industries to the region over the next 20 years. I want the Baton Rouge metro to benefit from that trend and to be prepared for it.

Companies looking to relocate to the gulf south because of lower wages and tax incentives can choose downtown Baton Rouge and have a diverse range of living and housing options for their employees within a few miles. I see this as becoming a major advantage for the whole region. Older employees who need good public schools can live in St George and still contribute to the parish tax base. People with special needs kids can choose Baton Rouge magnets and charters and still contribute to the parish tax base. People without kids can live downtown or in the garden district and still contribute to the parish tax base. Unless you wanted an actual 50 acre ranch, there'd be no reason to move away from East Baton Rouge.

You'd eliminate the incentive for moving all the way out to Livingston or Ascension parish once people reach childbearing ages.....which is typically when they reach their maximum earning potential professionally. That 35-45 year old age group is, to be frank, a great tax base to have because of their peak earnings and spending power.

A competitive municipal school district in the southern part of EBR could be the best tool I've seen to fight sprawl in years. People driving past St George on their way home to Ascension or Livingston from their jobs downtown or at LSU would be hard pressed not to consider moving back to EBR.

Baton Rouge could be less like a small town, and more like Atlanta or Houston.....literally with great living options for people of all ages and all walks of life. That's a great selling point in recruiting companies to the region and positioning the area for growth.

Unless you are actually on the EBR parish school payroll and don't want to lose control over ADA funding for kids in St George (in which case, you should be ashamed for doing a pathetic job for all these years) or if you are a real estate developer in Livingston or Ascension, there isn't much logic to feeling threatened by a new municipality in EBR.

We all complain how it's "business as usual" in Louisiana and that public schools fight any effort to create competitive pressure or to innovate. Here is an opportunity to shake things up and improve life in East Baton Rouge. Nothing discussed on urban planet will have a greater potential impact on the attractiveness of the capital region and the quality of life in EBR than a new municipality with a competitive school district, IMO.

voting yes for St George  don't guarantee a school system that has been proving.

[greg225]

I dont know why people that support St George thank if they vote yes for the city that mean school thats just not true. They have been denied schools by the state 3 times, so who say  ask a 4 time will be better. If a city they may still be in EBR school fact. EBR made some improvements still have long way to go it only can get better.

Edited February 6, 2015 by greg225

[ehyfield]

voting yes for St George don't guarantee a school system that has been proving.

It will guarantee you out of a school system that has been disproven though.

[greg225]

It will guarantee you out of a school system that has been disproven though.

St George will never happen any way lol

Edited February 6, 2015 by greg225

[greg225]

Baton Rouge is hear to stay we ain't going nowhere.

[greg225]

Hope more annexation happen that area already have Baton Rouge zip codes.

[cajun]

I dont know why people that support St George thank if they vote yes for the city that mean school thats just not true. They have been denied schools by the state 3 times, so who say ask a 4 time will be better. If a city they may still be in EBR school fact. EBR made some improvements still have long way to go it only can get better.

You must be a product of the EBR school system.

Baton Rouge is hear to stay we ain't going nowhere.

I agree.....in many ways, Baton Rouge is going nowhere.

[greg225]

Cajun when I grew up EBR schools  were not bad . It was not always bad, but I would be lying to say no improvements have been.

[greg225]

Cajun vote for St George dont mean schools thats a fact. They been denied time after time by the state.

[greg225]

Cant wait for this to end and the city of Baton Rouge annex all of that area. 

Edited February 7, 2015 by greg225

[Antrell Williams]

Greg225, I'm going to have to ask you to put your thoughts into a single post, no need to string one liners together 2-3 in a row.

 

 

Cajun makes an excellent point. I'm not on any particular side of the fence but I will say that the EBR school district is doing nothing and St. George WILL offer an alternative. Greg, the only reason the school district was shot down 3 times is because of the lack of a city. Why do you think Central was incorporated?

[greg225]

Greg225, I'm going to have to ask you to put your thoughts into a single post, no need to string one liners together 2-3 in a row.

 

 

Cajun makes an excellent point. I'm not on any particular side of the fence but I will say that the EBR school district is doing nothing and St. George WILL offer an alternative. Greg, the only reason the school district was shot down 3 times is because of the lack of a city. Why do you think Central was incorporated?

Central was Central St George is a 2.2 square mile village just under 7,000. That area of Southeast and Southwest Baton Rouge  never been called St George.

Edited February 8, 2015 by greg225

[cajun]

Central was Central St George is a 2.2 square mile village just under 7,000. That area of Southeast and Southwest Baton Rouge never been called St George.

The St George Fire Department has been established for nearly 50 years in that community, which has been referred to as "village St George" for a very long time....much the way the Central community has been referred to as "Central" before incorporation.

It's highly unlikely that Baton Rouge will find success annexing any meaningful residential areas in southern EBR since such a move would require a referendum vote of permanent residents. For all practical purposes, the residential growth in the city limits of Baton Rouge will have to occur organically as in-fill development. Any annexation Baton Rouge does is limited to vacant land and commercial strips with no residential tax base.

Outside of the Magnet Program, the East Baton Rouge Parish schools are an embarrassment. That school district has single handedly justified thousands of home purchases in Livingston and Ascension. Nothing else locally had been as effective as a catalysts for suburban growth in outlying parishes than the pathetic state and long decline of the East Baton Rouge parish school system.

Edited February 9, 2015 by cajun

[greg225]

The St George Fire Department has been established for nearly 50 years in that community, which has been referred to as "village St George" for a very long time....much the way the Central community has been referred to as "Central" before incorporation.

It's highly unlikely that Baton Rouge will find success annexing any meaningful residential areas in southern EBR since such a move would require a referendum vote of permanent residents. For all practical purposes, the residential growth in the city limits of Baton Rouge will have to occur organically as in-fill development. Any annexation Baton Rouge does is limited to vacant land and commercial strips with no residential tax base.

Outside of the Magnet Program, the East Baton Rouge Parish schools are an embarrassment. That school district has single handedly justified thousands of home purchases in Livingston and Ascension. Nothing else locally had been as effective as a catalysts for suburban growth in outlying parishes than the pathetic state and long decline of the East Baton Rouge parish school system.

What I said was the whole "AREA" of Southeast and Southwest is not St George no one call it St George. What about Eastside fire dept? On the map that area is south Baton Rouge. The whole state school system sucks. People only act East Baton Rouge school have problems.  Most schools in this state is not even the top 20 in the country may be except Zachary.

Edited February 9, 2015 by greg225

[Antrell Williams]

 

 

What I said was the whole "AREA" of Southeast and Southwest is not St George no one call it St George. What about Eastside fire dept? On the map that area is south Baton Rouge. The whole state school system sucks. People only act East Baton Rouge school have problems.  Most schools in this state is not even the top 20 in the country may be except Zachary.

I will say that it is considered Baton Rouge. I've never heard anyone refer to the area as Village St. George, although the maps and Facebook locations will use those neighborhood names instead of Baton Rouge.

 

Agreed on the education system here as a whole, while Zachary and others are good, they are nothing special on the national and especially international scale.

[dan326]

On the chance St. George does incorporate, I think Harveston would be a good spot for a new set of schools.

[richyb83]

The huge unincorporated swath of the proposed St. George (pop. est. 107,000) currently ONLY has One Public High School...Woodlawn....HOW SOON would they be able to build AT LEAST Two more New High Schools?? Harveston may be a good place to start...but the other new HS would need to go up toward I-12. Would that HS really be much different than Broadmoor HS? Maybe/probably not.... & would private schools (Parkview Baptist; St. Michael's; Dunham; Runnells) enrollment numbers dwindle??

 

Redemptorist in NBR numbers have dwindled to the point they will close at the end of school year...part of that is bec of newly created Zachary & Central school districts.

 

One small residential nook...Legacy Court off Coursey Blvd has already petitioned to be annexed into BR.

Annexations are shrinking proposed city of St. George, but the school district is a different story

 

http://theadvocate.com/news/11462217-123/annexations-shrink-proposed-city-of

Edited February 10, 2015 by richyb83

[Mr. Burnham]

The St George Fire Department has been established for nearly 50 years in that community, which has been referred to as "village St George" for a very long time....much the way the Central community has been referred to as "Central" before incorporation.

It's highly unlikely that Baton Rouge will find success annexing any meaningful residential areas in southern EBR since such a move would require a referendum vote of permanent residents. For all practical purposes, the residential growth in the city limits of Baton Rouge will have to occur organically as in-fill development. Any annexation Baton Rouge does is limited to vacant land and commercial strips with no residential tax base.

Outside of the Magnet Program, the East Baton Rouge Parish schools are an embarrassment. That school district has single handedly justified thousands of home purchases in Livingston and Ascension. Nothing else locally had been as effective as a catalysts for suburban growth in outlying parishes than the pathetic state and long decline of the East Baton Rouge parish school system.

Regardless the economic boom of that area in the late 90's has changed its relationship and connection to BR. At this point the two are two intertwined for an annexation to make sense other than schools. Personally I think the state should just let them have their own damn school system.  

[Mr. Burnham]

In fact, the only way Kip can win this battle is if the city and St. George compromise and let St. George have its own school district under the circumstance the city is annexed into BR. 

 

Also if it were to be annexed, Baton Rouge would have roughly a population of 340,000. This would be 40,000 short of New Orleans and economically would make the city stronger. From an economic perspective it makes more sense to become one large city rather then two mid-sized ones which is why the city and the state must allow St. George to have its own school district.