BATON ROUGE - A vote to create a Delmont economic development district was deferred by the East Baton Rouge Metro Council on Wednesday night.

While some were against the additional tax, others say they would be okay with paying it if it means more for the area.

"We need a place to, you know, take your wife out on a date or sit down and just actually have dinner," resident Jeremy Henderson said,

Residents of North Baton Rouge say they would like to see more developments in the area, like restaurants, educational facilities, and places for entertainment.

Rolando Butler works in North Baton Rouge. He says he would like to see more stability and consistent jobs in the area.

"I work actually right by the airport. So I go up and down here for lunch, and if I really want something that's unique, different, I have to go way, maybe to South Baton Rouge or around the mall somewhere," Butler said

The proposed Delmont economic development district would levy up to a 2% sales and use tax that organizers say would go towards the development of infrastructure and businesses along Plank Road.

"I do see the value in it as long as the money is put in the right places," Henderson said.

Metro Councilman Daryl Hurst brought the proposal before the council Wednesday night as part of the "Revive Plank Road" initiative.

It comes after multiple development districts have been created throughout East Baton Rouge, most recently two around Southern and LSU.

While many voiced support, others felt differently.

"We are being overtaken in East Baton Rouge Parish by E.D.D.'s, which equal more taxes," one resident said.

Some members of the metro council pushed back on the effort as well.

"Why not a community development district that shows the need for housing, healthcare, safety, all of this as opposed to putting this 2% on the people up there, that's already struggling," East Baton Rouge Metro Council Member Carolyn Coleman said.

The area for the proposed Delmont Economic Development District currently sits under two other economic development districts. One is the Plank Road Economic Development District.

"With the city running a deficit, it's a redirection of two pennies. So, the same two pennies, but instead of adding them, taking them out of the general fund, and giving them for similar purposes. It was put into legislation about 10 years ago. It's never been enacted, so if we do it now, it actually adds a larger hole to a deficit that the city-parish is currently running," Hurst said.

The other one, Hurst says, is a Hotel-Motel tax through the Baton Rouge North Economic District.

"There are no hotels or motels on Plank Road. So is it covered in the area? Yes, but it doesn't affect us," he said.

Hurst says he plans to take some of the suggestions by the Metro Council into consideration, as he will bring them before them again at the end of the month.

"It's a sense of urgency, if not now, then when? So we are going to take the feedback, work with council members, bring it back before the Metro Council, and our goal is to get an approval," he said.

The proposed Delmont economic development district will be on the November 25th Metro Council meeting agenda.