After a decadelong legal tussle, affluent white residents in Louisiana have secured approval to carve out their own city, sparking debate over racial segregation and economic fallout in Baton Rouge.
Wealthy white Louisiana residents have emerged victorious in a court ruling granting them the right to secede from their poorer black neighbors and establish their own city after a contentious legal battle spanning a decade, the Daily Mail reported.
The newly sanctioned city will be known as St. George. It will encompass a 60-square-mile area in the southeastern region of East Baton Rouge Parish and have an anticipated population of 86,000.
The endeavor has been championed by affluent segments of the community, who tout aspirations for improved education and enhanced safety measures.
The Louisiana Supreme Court's decision on Friday marks a pivotal moment in a protracted struggle that began nearly 15 years ago. Initially rooted in a desire to establish a separate school district, the ambition evolved into a comprehensive proposal to form an autonomous municipality, culminating in a successful ballot initiative in 2019, where 54% of residents voted in favor of incorporation.
Critics decry the move as inherently discriminatory, alleging that it will perpetuate racial and socioeconomic divisions by segregating a predominantly white, affluent enclave from the broader, predominantly black city and school district. Voices of dissent warn of economic repercussions for Baton Rouge, with projections indicating a potential $53 million budget deficit and a halving of the unemployment rate in the new city.
Opponents also expressed concerns that the separation would exacerbate existing inequalities, relegating the remainder of Baton Rouge to economic hardship and diminished public services. Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and other detractors have fiercely contested the formation of St. George, asserting that it will precipitate a fiscal crisis and undermine the viability of essential services.
Despite these contentious debates, proponents of the St. George initiative remain resolute in pursuing self-governance. Advocates argue that establishing a separate municipality is an exercise in constitutional rights, promising to deliver on pledges for a more efficient and prosperous community.
"The residents of St. George have long been the backbone of East Baton Rouge Parish's economy and have been leaders in its commerce, industry, education, and culture," supporters of the incorporation effort argue on their website. "This has led to a situation in which St. George's taxpayers provide two-thirds of the revenue to the East Baton Rouge Parish government with only one-third of that government's expense in return," Bloomberg reported.
Organizers assert that with increased control over their tax dollars, the city of St. George could enhance service delivery.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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