The East Baton Rouge Metro Council delayed an effort by councilman Darryl Hurst on Wednesday to create an economic development district near Plank Road, taking issue with its atypical governing structure.

The district would add a 2-cent sales tax in the geographic area, which Hurst said would be used for landscape development, improved lighting and facade improvement for businesses in the area.

But after other council members expressed issues with the district, Hurst questioned why his colleagues recently voted to approve the same type of taxing districts at LSU and Southern University but didn't support his.

"We just passed a Southern EDD and LSU EDD that taxes the same people, and nobody had a comment to say about that … we just put blindfolds on and said, 'yes,'" Hurst said. "We don'

See Full Page