After it was apparent Saturday night that voters had rejected all three of his " Thrive" measures , East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards addressed a crowd of supporters at a watch party with a mostly hopeful message.

"I am looking forward to what we're going to do to get Baton Rouge on the track that it needs to be on," he said. "It's a challenge, but I'm up for it, I'm built for it and I'm excited about it."

But after he finished making remarks, some of his city-parish employees slipped outside to wipe away tears. They knew their jobs were now in jeopardy.

Cuts and layoffs were already expected, but after Thrive failed Saturday night, the reality — and the severity — of the parish budget problem sharpened considerably.

Despite support for Thrive among political players —

See Full Page