BATON ROUGE — District Attorney Hillar Moore said that, as required by a court order, several local city governments will be added as parties to its lawsuit that seeks more funding for the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney's Office. 

In April, the DA's Office filed suit against the city-parish government over what Moore called inadequate funding for his office. 

In a Wednesday hearing, a judge ruled that local municipalities in East Baton Rouge Parish, including Baton Rouge, Zachary, Central and St. George, must be added to the lawsuit. 

"It is important to be clear: this was a ruling of the Court. Our Office did not initially name the municipalities, and we have not sought to make this a dispute with our local mayors or city governments," Moore said in a statement. 

The DA said he personally contacted each municipality's mayor about the court's ruling and to make clear that his office remains committed to working together with each of them. 

"Whether a case comes from Baton Rouge, Baker, Zachary, Central, St. George, or an unincorporated area, our responsibility is the same. Public safety does not stop at municipal boundaries, and neither does our commitment to the people we serve," Moore said. 

Last year, voters rejected a tax proposal that would have raised about $22 million annually for his office. Moore said that failure left him with no choice but to seek funding through the courts, arguing the money is required by law.

City-parish leaders said they have already increased funding, but must balance multiple priorities across the criminal justice system.

"Our goal is not conflict," Moore said.