Better Parks. Brighter Future.
BREC is on the Ballot - June 27
Renewal 3.96 mills, 10-year Millage for Operations + Maintenance
A Year of Progress
The past year has been one of meaningful progress and renewed focus for BREC. Since June 2025, our organization has taken significant steps to strengthen operations, restore fiscal accountability, improve safety and customer service, and advance long-term planning and technology initiatives that will benefit our community for years to come.
Restoring Financial Accountability + Transparency
We successfully completed the 2022, 2023 and 2024 audits, initiated a forensic audit to further strengthen financial controls, procurement procedures, and reporting. We are implementing important retirementbenefit changes to ensure long-term fiscal sustainability. These steps have restored confidence and fiscal discipline across the organization. The 2025 audit is targeted to be completed on time, if not early, for the first time in four years.
Building Strong Leadership + Organizational Alignment
We created a new leadership team and revamped the HR Department to better support our employees and align with our strategic Imagine Your Parks 3 (IYP3) goals. This included a targeted 10% reduction in force, implementing weekly leadership and cross-department rhythm meetings, and close oversight to ensure accountability and follow-through on key initiatives.
Transforming Customer Service Responsiveness
Through our new “Rapid Response” system, we have dramatically improved turnaround times for addressing community and staff concerns, leading to faster resolutions and greater patron satisfaction.
Investing in Employee Development + Support
We have broadened leadership and supervisor training, implemented a cost-of-living increase for over 300 employees, and instituted a monthly scorecard performance review system to track progress and provide stronger support for our staff.
Realigning Departments for Superior Service
We restructured the Planning & Engineering, Park Operations, and Recreation departments to streamline services, sharpen focus and are currently optimizing our parks to provide better-distributed services throughout the parish.
Publishing Master plans + Progressing with Obsolete Property Reinvestment
We are publishing our master plans to improve planning and community engagement, while reducing our inventory of park assets by addressing obsolete land holdings. The goal is to have better access, safer spaces, and more usable amenities. These steps better position BREC for future investments and ensure our resources are fully aligned with current and future community needs.
Prioritizing Safety
BREC established a Security Operations Center for 24/7 monitoring of all our security cameras, revamped our security protocols, and strengthened collaboration by working closely with the five (5) area Mayors, Chiefs of Police, and Sheriff to enhance park safety and security.
Streamlining Operations + Leveraging Technology
We have improved project management processes, established published game plans for park development, and adopted robust use of AI technology to enhance decision-making and deliver better results. This includes a system-wide project management software allowing us to plan and track projects better daily and give mayors and stakeholders weekly updates on projects and deadlines.
Strengthening Community Engagement + Partnerships
We have hosted town hall meetings across East Baton Rouge Parish to hear directly from residents, created new Friends groups throughout our parks, and maintained weekly coordination with the five (5) area Mayors. These efforts have also expanded valuable partnerships with sports associations, cultural organizations, and educational institutions.
Revitalizing Recreational League Play
We are breathing new life into recreational league play with the creation of the newly formed Athletic Council and are now working closely with all area mayors to make recreational and neighborhood activities a thriving reality once again throughout the parish.
Behind every park, trail, and recreation program is a dedicated team of public servants who care deeply about this community. As we move forward, we will continue strengthening our organization while investing in the parks, facilities and programs that improve quality of life for everyone in the Parish. We represent the five (5) cities and the large, unincorporated area that makes up the parish. Our parks and programs are spread throughout, and they belong to the people of this parish. We remain committed to strengthening an organization that is accountable & focused on delivering exceptional recreational experiences
