St. George · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in St. George public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Giovanni Square redevelopment
A stalled project from its East Baton Rouge days gets new life — boundary adjustments and a private street approved so construction at Airline and Highland can finally be completed.
Live oak tree protections
The city wants to protect big live oaks by requiring permits and replacement plantings before they can be cut down. Local tree experts and residents say the draft is too broad, could amount to a property-rights overreach, and needs input from licensed arborists. It's on hold for two months while revisions are made.
Home occupations zoning rules
A Shenandoah Estates resident won approval for a metal-refinishing home business — but only because a pending code change would allow such uses in recognized subdivisions. It shows the city is still sorting out how strictly to police home businesses.
Charter School Formation
St. George leaders are pushing to launch their own community charter school after the local school district rejected a partnership. That means the fight over where kids attend school—and how local tax dollars follow them—is now moving to the charter-approval stage.
Planning and Zoning Commission expansion
The commission is growing from 5 to 7 members with staggered terms, matching the council's size. If the commission moves to multiple meetings a month, a bigger board reduces quorum problems.
Disorderly place enforcement expansion
The strengthened ordinance lets the city move against properties that repeatedly consume police, fire and EMS resources — with a presumption triggered by multiple first-responder responses in twelve months. Critics worry mere incident reports, not arrests, could unfairly tag property owners.
Insurance premium tax retention
The city is updating how it levies, collects, and enforces an insurance premium tax on risks within St. George limits. It heads to a public hearing August 25 before any vote.
Construction Board of Appeals fee schedule
If you disagree with a permit or inspection ruling, you can appeal to the CBOA — but it will now cost $200 for a home, $800 for commercial, and triple if the work was done without permits.
Three-strikes rule for contractors in city rights-of-way
With fiber companies tearing up streets across St. George, the new ordinance lets the city ban contractors who repeatedly fail safety or construction standards. Residents dealing with blocked lanes or botched road cuts now have real enforcement teeth.
School District Creation Vote Fails
St. George’s bid to break off and run its own school system failed at the ballot box, a major setback for the newly incorporated city. For now, students and taxpayers stay tied to the existing parish school system, and the city’s push for local control has to regroup.
Election Results Statement
St. George's mayor has spoken out after voters rejected Amendment Two, and the message is basically: the city's direction now gets decided without whatever that measure would have changed. The statement signals how City Hall plans to move forward after the loss at the ballot box. Specifics on the amendment's scope and next steps are still thin, so expect more details to surface.