Budget Battles & Baton Rouge: Aaron Moak Breaks It Down

Metro Councilman Aaron Moak joins the show to unpack Baton Rouge’s 2026 City-Parish budget in the wake of Thrive EBR’s defeat at the polls. Moak stresses that public distrust in government stems from officials’ infighting, and urges collaboration from the top down. With a 520-page budget now in council’s hands, cuts are inevitable—roughly 200 positions across departments, though police and fire remain protected. Early retirements, frozen jobs, and overlapping roles will be targeted, but services like DPW and maintenance risk being hit hardest. Moak emphasizes teamwork, transparency, and tough choices ahead to keep Baton Rouge running efficiently.