Creates the Cypress Point Improvement District in East Baton Rouge Parish
HB 282 creates the Cypress Point Improvement District in East Baton Rouge Parish as a political subdivision of the state. The district covers a defined area in the Cypress Point/South Essen Heights area and is charged with making improvements to drainage and sewer systems, as well as general beautification and overall betterment of the neighborhood. The bill sets out the district’s governance structure, including a seven-member board of commissioners appointed by the Cypress Point Homeowners Association, the local House and Senate members, and the parish assessor, with members required to be property-owning residents and qualified voters within the district.
The bill also gives the district authority to contract, sue and be sued, acquire property and supplies, obtain insurance, and coordinate with other districts. Its main funding mechanism is a parcel fee of up to $300 per year on improved and unimproved residential parcels, excluding condominium parcels, but only after approval by a majority of registered voters in the district. The fee may be renewed after 20 years and may be increased once without another election after five years, within the statutory cap. The district must follow local budget law, is subject to legislative audit, and may receive voluntary contributions and grants. If the district dissolves, remaining funds go to East Baton Rouge Parish for improvements in the same area.
HB 282 adds a new section to Louisiana law, R.S. 33:9097.50, establishing a special improvement district with independent corporate and political subdivision status in East Baton Rouge Parish. It authorizes a new local governance and financing structure for a specific neighborhood area, including the power to levy and collect a parcel fee through the parish tax collection system and enforce unpaid amounts like ad valorem taxes. The bill affects property owners within the district, the parish tax collector, and the appointed board, while also creating audit, budgeting, indemnification, and dissolution rules for the district.
The bill appears to have been broadly supported. It passed the House overwhelmingly and then passed the Senate unanimously, suggesting little public or legislative opposition to the concept of creating a local improvement district for drainage, sewer, and neighborhood enhancement. The vote totals indicate strong bipartisan or at least cross-chamber agreement on the measure.
The main potential point of contention is the parcel fee, since it imposes a new charge on property owners within the district and can be collected like a tax. However, the bill addresses that concern by requiring initial voter approval before the fee may be imposed, capping the amount, and limiting the district’s ability to raise it without another election except for one later increase. Another possible issue is the governance model, which gives appointment power to the homeowners association, local legislators, and the parish assessor rather than through direct election, but no recorded committee debate or floor opposition is provided in the available materials.