BATON ROUGE - Mayor-President Sid Edward proposed his 2026 budget during Wednesday's Special Metro Council meeting. In total, Edwards' plan would eliminate 420 government positions. 

Edwards said that due to the incorporation of St. George, the city-parish's general fund will be reduced by $15 million. 

During his address, Edwards said personnel is the largest cost from the general fund and his budget proposes a 33% workforce reduction, excluding police and fire employees. Funding for other departments will also be reduced by 11%.

The mayor said that his plan does not include his THRIVE initiative to let the government tap money currently going to the parish library system, the public pest control agency and the Council on Aging.

Without the approval of the THRIVE, Edwards said the City-Parish will not be able to sustain funding support for certain outside agencies like the Public Defender's office, the Arts Council and the food bank in 2027. Those programs will receive money through interest from the American Rescue Fund in 2026.

The District Attorney's office shared the following statement, calling for parish-wide collaboration to address the funding crisis:

“This is not about blame or politics — it’s about fairness, safety, and teamwork. We fully understand the financial pressures facing the City-Parish and other local governments. At the same time, we must ensure our Office can meet its constitutional responsibility to protect this community and uphold the fair administration of justice. We want to be a team player and work with all stakeholders to find a solution that’s sustainable for everyone.”

THRIVE will be on ballots Nov. 15.