Baton Rouge Mayor Sid of the parish attorney for seeking to involve the city-parish government in a lawsuit about St. George from parish council members that night and through the day Friday.
And, while the mayor appeared to have mended some fences by the end of the day, some council members were still asking questions about his comment that city leaders had reached an “agreement in principal” with St. George about significant disputes over the cities’ finances.
“I was certainly caught off guard to learn that there was a potential agreement on the table and the council had no knowledge,” said council member Laurie Adams. “I would like to at least have some knowledge about what's taking place.”
The roughly 24-hour spat began Thursday afternoon. In a legal filing, Parish Attorney John McLindon asked a Baton Rouge judge to bring the city-parish government into a lawsuit filed by a developer challenging the city’s zoning laws.
McLindon argued the city-parish has a significant interest in one question the lawsuit raises: When was St. George officially incorporated? If the city was incorporated in 2019, when voters approved its creation, East Baton Rouge could owe St. George tens of millions of dollars.
In a statement released Thursday — while Edwards was coaching at a football event — the mayor said he strongly disagreed with the decision to intervene in the suit.
The parish attorney reports to the council and the mayor.
EBR Mayor Pro-Tem Brandon Noel speaks during a ribbon cutting of the new tower at Lane Regional Medical Center on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.
Javier Gallegos
Edwards’ statement said his team and St. George leaders had negotiated an “agreement in principle” months prior that he said would have allowed the parish and its newest city to move forward together — but McLindon’s filing complicated things.
The Edwards administration did not respond to questions Friday asking for clarity on that agreement.
Late Thursday night, Mayor Pro Tempore Brandon Noel, the council’s leader, shot back at Edwards’ team, questioned who wrote the mayor’s statement and why the council had been kept in the dark.
“To say that we were blindsided would be an understatement,” said Noel, the council’s leader as mayor pro tempore, adding he was “very confused” by the administration's press release.
After meeting in the mayor’s office at 3 p.m. Friday, Edwards and Noel released a joint statement that said they agreed to new policies that will lead to better communication between the Mayor’s Office, the Metro Council and the parish attorney.
“We are proposing that, when appropriate, an item be placed on the Metropolitan Council agenda before the City-Parish initiates or responds to legal action,” Edwards and Noel said. “This will ensure that the Mayor-President and Metropolitan Council members have a voice and that the public has an opportunity to be heard.”
McLindon said Friday he and the mayor cleared things up about what happened the day before.
“The mayor came up to my office this morning and explained how the miscommunication happened,” McLindon said. “I accepted his explanation, and I look forward to working with the mayor going forward.”
Questions linger
Still, some council members raised questions about the agreement with St. George and expressed irritation that they had not been included in the negotiations. A deal would likely require council approval, they argue.
Council member Laurie Adams speaks during the metro council meeting at City Hall on Thursday, April 30, 2026.
Javier Gallegos
“I would really like to see the agreement,” said council member Jen Racca, a Republican. “I'd really also like to know the parties that were involved in drafting this agreement.”
Attempts to reach St. George officials Friday were unsuccessful.
Some said the mix-up showed the need for better communication between top parish leaders.
Council member Anthony Kenney, a Democrat, said he thinks any talks between the Mayor’s Office and St. George were likely done in good faith but said the council needs to be briefed before anything is finalized.
He said setting an incorporation date is crucial and complimented the parish attorney for taking the initiative. But he said the recent spat could have been avoided with better procedures in place between the parish attorney and mayor, as well as the parish attorney and council.
“I just think it's a lot of miscommunication that happened on both sides,” Kenney said. “But I think both sides are really working to try to get an incorporation date.”
The plan of government defines the parish attorney as “the legal adviser of the Council, the Mayor-President, and all departments” — but it is the council that appoints the position.
Why the incorporation date matters
The St. George movement first achieved voter approval to incorporate in 2019.
Shortly after, lawsuits were filed during the Broome administration challenging the incorporation, which tied things up for five years in various courts.
During that period, the city-parish continued to collect and use sales taxes in the St. George boundary to provide residents services.
Some St. George leaders have argued that the new city is entitled to those tax dollars — estimated to be more than $200 million — since their true date of incorporation is 2019.
A 2024 incorporation date would negate any liability for the city-parish regarding those funds. Also, St. George would likely begin paying $9 million to $11 million to the city-parish each year for legacy retirement costs once an incorporation date is set.
Adams applauded the decision to try and get a court to resolve the unanswered question.
“If a decision is going to be made on the incorporation date, certainly the 459,000 residents of the parish need to be at the table in this lawsuit,” Adams said. “Having the parish attorney at the table during those conversations is, I think, good legal practice and ensures the people of the parish are well represented.”