Union President Jake Morgan on Why Baton Rouge Voters Should Approve a Property Tax Increase to Increase Firefighter Salaries

(BATON ROUGE, La.) — A proposed property tax increase is on this city’s November ballot. If passed, the measure will add 20% to firefighter salaries in Baton Rouge bringing them from $33,207 to roughly $40,000 a year.

The Click sat down with Jake Morgan, president of  the Baton Rouge Professional Firefighters Association, to discuss what the proposed tax increase of 6 mills would mean for firefighters and the community.  Morgan, a firefighter for 12 years, was elected in 2023 and has since advocated for a salary increase for the department.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

The Click: Has it been difficult to recruit people when they find out that the pay is just a little bit above $30,000 per year?

Mogan: Yes. There’s certainly a sticker shock there. In 2023, we lost the most people we ever have to outside departments. … There’s massive campaigns across the nation promising the grass is greener on the other side. And our young firefighters, in some of your bigger cities, see $80,000 and so they’re moving to go and chase the dollar. That’s certainly something we’re trying to combat.

You did an interview when the $25,000 additional property tax exemption passed for first responders and mentioned the tax break is a huge step forward in retaining people in the department. How could the pay increase do this?

There’s a lot that goes into being a public employee. One of the biggest draws is your benefits. People wanna work a 30-year career, have a secure job, and have a secure retirement. That’s what draws you to the public sector. So with our benefits and now upping our pay, we feel that we will be the most competitive in the state of Louisiana. As the capital city, we wanna be able to recruit and retain the best firefighters we can for the public.

This is the first time in nearly 25 years that a raise for the department has been on the ballot. The previous union president tried to increase department pay but was not successful. How have you done things differently?

I wanted to exhaust all options before I went to the public to ask for a tax [increase] … Now if we want that substantial amount of money, our last option is a vote of the people on a property millage. If the property millage was to pass, it would be 6 mills [on the dollar], which would generate the money we need to pay our people.

If the vote passes, will people see a significant increase in their property tax each year?

I am not a fan of taxes. I don’t think anybody is. … But it doesn’t matter how you break it down. Public service and firefighters are paid by taxes. … So when the city tells us we don’t have the money, then we have to look to the public to try and pay us and increase our money. So what it would look like in East Baton Rouge Parish, according to tax assessor Brian Wilson, is on a $200,000 house, you’re looking at around a $100 a year property tax increase. [Based on home pricing in East Baton Rouge Parish with the proposed tax of $600 per $100,000 in assessed property value on the ballot in addition to the current millage in EBR.] And that’s across a whole year.

If the tax doesn’t pass, is there a next step for you and the union in increasing department pay? 

To do something substantial, this is kind of our last plan. We’ve gone round and round with the city…. The city is trying to solve budget deficits, so they’re not looking to give out new money. So if the public feels that we don’t deserve a raise, so to speak, we’re out of options. This is kind of our last stop.

Anything else you would like to share with voters about the tax?

Please vote yes! Support public safety!

Baton Rouge voters can find their polling location here.