Organizers for the Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade are asking the Metro Council to set aside funds in the city-parish's 2026 budget to cover security costs for the 2026 event.

A seasonal fixture since 1981, the annual parade draws up to 200,000 people and is organized by the Mystic Krewe for the Preservation of Lagniappe in Louisiana.

The Baton Rouge Police Department traditionally has covered event security. But amid cuts to the city-parish budget , the Police Department enacted a new policy earlier this year that shifts most security costs for events — including parades — onto local organizers to help make up for a budget deficit.

At a public hearing Wednesday on the proposed 2026 budget, Baton Rouge Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr. said the officer rate was around $50 to $55 an hou

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