New Orleans to annex St. Bernard parish?

[TSmith]

Was listening to WWL 870am today. Rep. John LaBruzzo mentioned that there are whispers of a possible move by both St. Bernard parish and New Orleans for N.O. to annex the area. Reasons given were that St. Bernard officials are unable to provide services because of a money crunch. Also, they feel that if they are a part of New Orleans, they'd get more attention on the levee issue.

Personally I don't see this happening, but it is interesting that it is being discussed.

[NCB]

That is interesting news. I guess I missed this on 870.

I can definately see why Saint Bernard is considering this, but there would obvisouly be some downsides to it if some things dont get changed within New Orleans.

[EbonyGardens]

I know I'm not from N.O. but I think the annexation will take place, for the simple fact that St. Bernard has a money crunch issue. St. Bernard Parish seems desperate enough to forget about the downsides of being annexed into N.O. Besides, it might strengthen N.O.'s population, metro and city.

[alon504]

At first thought, it doesn't sound like a bad idea. St. Bernard could use the help and Orleans could use the developed areas. I'm confident if this were to proceed further, beyond, discussion, and into action, that St. Bernard would remain a fairly seperate community, if anything, by landscape alone. Very interesting proposition to think about, though....

[NCB]

This is just a question, as I haven't heard anything about it.

Have there been any thoughts in New Orleans to possibly annex Metairie or Kenner? There are of course many things that would have to go into this, but I just thought that would be an interesting thought post-Katrina.

[alon504]

It's been mentioned, but, I don't think Jefferson Parish would be very excited about that proposition. But, who knows? Katrina has changed alot of things.

[NCB]

^That's what I was thinking. I guess we can just add that to the now long list of things that we will have to wait and see.

[BRPJ]

drastic times call for drastic measures.

its in the states best interest for both baton rouge and new orleans to annex territory and gain residency and size. baton rouge should definately annes the EBRP espesially after katrina, it would make the population of baton rouge well over 500,000.... and new orleans should definately annex metari, and possibly anything else it can gets it hands on. we already will be loosing seats in the congress, electoral votes, and money from the feds. we need TWO major cities so that there can be some central points to redeveloping the economic structures of LA, i think its going to have to boom in neworleans as well as Baton Rouge

[NCB]

^I wouldn't be suprised if Baton Rouge merges with EBRP.

Though chances that New Orleans would be able to annex the Metairie and Kenner areas are very slim. Simpy put, most of those people moved to Metairie of Kenner to get out of New Orleans in the first place, and until New Orleans proves that it is becoming a better city in terms of schools, government, crime, etc. there would be no way that voters would allow that annexation to take place.

[Spartan]

Cities don't just annex for population. There has to be some sort of financial and logicstical reason for doing so. East and West Baton Rouge merging in some way might not be the best thing to so in that respect. Have these parishes traditionally been separated or were they once the same?

Both Orleans and St Bernard Parishes could potentially benefit from becoming a part of the same city. New Orleans could benefit from the additional tax base directly accross the river from them that is for all purposes a part of the city anyway. St Bernard would benefit by having access to more money for services, and reconstruction too (though much of that is coming from the Fed anyway).

I understand Metairie to be a more prosperous suburb than those located in St Bernard. So, they would be less likely to annex because it would be a disadvantage to them- their money would be going more towards Orleans Parish, and less in Jefferson.

[NCB]

Have these parishes traditionally been separated or were they once the same?

Jefferson and Orleans were at one time very close with each other. Back in New Orleans' hayday, when everything everywhere was growing, Jefferson and Orleans would help each other out, the residents of Jefferson were much more keen of Orleans Parish, and things like that. Though since the 70's when the white flight began in New Orleans, Jefferson and Orleans have been like two different countries. Jefferson's residents were mostly white, while Orleans' residents were mostly black, Jefferson didn't have problems with public education, crime, job and population loss, government corruption, and other things that were making Orleans a much less favorable place to live. Now, a great deal of the residents in Kenner and Metairie were at a time New Orleanians, but moved away to get away from all of the problems facing the city. This is why until New Orleans proves itself to be a city turning itself around, there is simply no way Metairie or Kenner residents would allow an annexation to take place without a major fight.

Saint Bernard Parish on the other hand has always been very close with Orleans. Cities in Saint Bernard like Chalmette have always been close with New Orleans. The Battle of New Orleans took place in Chalmette, a great deal of New Orleanians work at the oil plants around Chalmette, and many Saint Bernard residents work in downtown New Orleans. An annexation Saint Bernard Parish would come much much easier than an annexation of Metairie and Kenner. According to a recent population estimate, Saint Bernard has around 10,000 of its pre-Katrina 70,000 residents back, and from stories being run by papers and news stations around New Orleans, most of these 10,000 residents 100% support an annexation by Orleans.

[Spartan]

Interesting information! That is sort of how I had things pictured. Perhaps the mess that Kartina has caused will give New Orleans the opportuinity to clean its image up a little.

However, I was actually asking about East and West Baton Rouge Parish and whether they were once the same parish.

[NCB]

However, I was actually asking about East and West Baton Rouge Parish and whether they were once the same parish.

Ahh I see. Haha, sorry about that.

From what I know, East Baton Rouge Parish and West Baton Rouge Parish were the same parish for a short time a long time ago. Though through recent times the parish's are very different from each other. EBRP is a parish where most of the jobs in government, business, and things of that nature, while WBRP is mostly centered around oil and production plants along the Mississippi River. Population is also a major difference, as pre-Katrina EBRP had a population of around 420,000, and WBRP had a population of around 20,000.

Just for info purposes, one major idea running around East Baton Rouge Parish is the possibility that the city of Baton Rouge will merge with East Baton Rouge Parish. Just the possible demographics of Baton Rouge in the upcoming years interests me. The projected population of EBRP in 2010 is 500,000-550,000, so if the city were to merge with the parish we would be looking at a much larger Baton Rouge. The projected population of Baton Rouge(if a merger does not occur) is projected to be anywhere from 250,000-350,000+, which greatly depends on how many people return to New Orleans.

[Spartan]

Interesting. I actually just got finished reading about the mproposed merger on BR's website. Keep in mind that a consilidation doesn't really change the numbers, it just appears to. The people will be living where they are regardless of what they decide to do with the government structure there.

I am generally in favor of city-couty consolidations- or city-parish in this case.

[Spartan]

Also, when did New Orleans and Orleans Parish consolidate?

[NCB]

Also, when did New Orleans and Orleans Parish consolidate?

I believe Orleans and New Orleans first consolidated in 1854, though this changed after the Civil War, then they were consolitaded again in the very late 1800's-early 1900's.

[Spartan]

How do you mean consolidated again? Can you provide any details behind that?

[NCB]

How do you mean consolidated again? Can you provide any details behind that?

Sorry I worded that wrong. What I was trying to say was that the city-parish became more united again in the late 1800's.

Technically New Orleans-Orleans Parish have always been consolitated since 1854, but when New Orleans became the capital of Louisiana directly after the Civil War ended, many governmental changes took place within the city and parish, so that New Orleans and Orleans parish were more sperated from each other in terms of government. Though after the capital returned to Baton Rouge in the late 1800's, New Orleans and Orleans became more governmentally united.

This aspect of the city's history has always been a bit confusing to me, I never really understood why certain governmental changes were made while New Orleans was the state capitol.

[Spartan]

Interesting. What happened to Baton Rouge that it couldn't be the captial?

[NCB]

Interesting. What happened to Baton Rouge that it couldn't be the captial?

After the Civil War, Baton Rouge was in no shape to be the state capital. The city lost over 10 million 1864 dollars in freed slaves, was filled with destroyed buildings, looted property's, stolen cattle, and burned and destroyed crops. The captial was then moved to New Orleans which had not suffered much damage at all in the Civil War compared to Baton Rouge.

[Mith242]

After the Civil War, Baton Rouge was in no shape to be the state capital. The city lost over 10 million 1864 dollars in freed slaves, was filled with destroyed buildings, looted property's, stolen cattle, and burned and destroyed crops. The captial was then moved to New Orleans which had not suffered much damage at all in the Civil War compared to Baton Rouge.

Interesting, I didn't know New Orleans wasn't damaged too much compared to the other larger southern cities.

[NCB]

Interesting, I didn't know New Orleans wasn't damaged too much compared to the other larger southern cities.

Yea, it really wasn't damaged much at all when compared to other southern major cities.

[Spartan]

I didn't know that Baton Rouge was so heavily damaged after the Civil War. I guess I need to refresh my knowledge of that war.

[NCB]

^Yea, after the Civil War Baton Rouge wasn't in the best shape.

[Spartan]

Was it part of Sherman's urban renewal project?