Taxation Without Representation

Proposed SB191 Threatens Representation for Thousands in the St. George Fire District

ST GEORGE, LA — The St. George Professional Firefighters Local 4524 is raising the alarm over Louisiana Senate Bill 191, which proposes a dramatic and dangerous shift in how the St. George Fire Protection District Board is appointed. The bill, now in committee, seeks to transfer full appointment authority from the East Baton Rouge Metro Council to the newly elected City of St. George Council.

While the City of St. George and the St. George Fire Department may share a name, they are not the same entity. The Fire Department is a fire protection district, governed by state law and tasked with providing emergency services to a much wider area than the newly incorporated city limits. This proposed change would allow city politicians to control a fire board that serves residents outside their jurisdiction — residents who pay taxes to the fire district but have no vote in the City of St. George.

“This is taxation without representation, plain and simple,” said a spokesperson for Local 4524. “Our country was founded on the rejection of exactly this kind of governance. Residents who live outside the city but rely on our fire protection would have no voice in how their services are managed, yet would continue to pay for them.”

The proposed bill, if passed, would create a governance crisis and risks undermining public trust in how fire protection is administered and funded in East Baton Rouge Parish. It opens the door to political maneuvering that could prioritize city interests at the expense of parish-wide fire safety, firefighter staffing, and emergency response times.

Local 4524 is calling on lawmakers and the public to reject SB191 and to preserve a structure of oversight that ensures all taxpayers in the fire protection district are fairly represented. We urge citizens to contact their legislators and demand accountability and equity in how fire boards are formed.

This isn’t just a political issue. It’s a public safety issue. Firefighters answer every call, for every citizen — we need a governance model that honors that same commitment.