Some claims verified, others lack documentation or full picture

Parish President Jason Manola delivered his State of the Parish address last month, highlighting what he called historic progress on fire protection, infrastructure, and grant funding during his administration.

A WBR Independent review of audited financial statements and budget hearing transcripts found several claims hold up to scrutiny — while others lack supporting documentation or full context.

What Checks Out

PIAL ratings primarily evaluate infrastructure, equipment, and staffing levels. The scoring system may incorporate NFPA 1710 response time standards in some categories, though PIAL does not independently verify actual response times to emergency calls.

Budget documents show the state provided $1.5 million in surplus funds to equip the parish’s ambulance service. The parish reports EMS collections exceeding $1.3 million in its first full year of operations, but has not publicly disclosed the cost of running the service. These figures are based on parish-reported data, and no independent audit or third-party verification of EMS performance or operating costs has been released.

The parish's drainage millage renewal passed with 80.43 percent support in November 2025. Manola also noted voter turnout in West Baton Rouge was nearly double the statewide average. Manola did not mention that the drainage renewal initially failed in a March 2025 election before passing on its second attempt in November.

The parish did secure $10 million in state grant funding for a sewer consolidation project that will retire 10 aging package treatment plants in favor of a regional facility. An additional $1.8 million was awarded for water infrastructure improvements.

Insurance Savings Claim Not Verified

Manola claimed the improved fire rating could save homeowners "up to 15 percent" on insurance premiums. Butch Browning of Browning Associates LLC, the parish's contracted fire leadership provider, has previously cited savings of up to 25 percent in media interviews. Neither figure has been independently verified, and the parish has not provided documentation supporting either claim.

Grant Funding: $37.3 Million Figure Verified

Manola cited $37.3 million in grant funding secured during his administration.

Parish Finance Director Chance Stephens provided WBR Independent with a detailed breakdown confirming the figure. The largest components include $12.7 million in state funding for infrastructure projects such as the LA-415 Connector and Court Street sidewalks, $10 million for sewer consolidation, and $5.1 million in federal ARPA funds.

The largest single component — $12.7 million in state funding — is allocated primarily to the LA-415 Connector project, which has been in development since 1972. Multiple administrations have worked to advance the project over the past five decades.

The total represents funds awarded to or received by the parish from external sources — federal, state, and private donations — during the current administration. It does not include bond proceeds.

Some grants, such as the $1.8 million Bayou Stumpy drainage reimbursement, are still being collected. Stephens told the Parish Council in October that reimbursement has been slow, with roughly $311,000 received to date.

Transparency Claims vs. Practice

Manola emphasized transparency and accountability as hallmarks of his administration.

However, verifying financial claims in this report required direct requests to the parish finance director. West Baton Rouge does not publish expenditure data in a publicly accessible format.

Neighboring East Baton Rouge Parish maintains "Open Checkbook BR" (checkbook.brla.gov) and "Open Budget BR" (budget.brla.gov), public portals providing check-level spending data and budget breakdowns — no records request required.

The parish also approved a resolution in 2025 increasing public records fees to $1.00 per page — four times the state benchmark of $0.25 per page.

Bottom Line

Manola's address contained verifiable claims about the PIAL fire rating change and major infrastructure grants — the $37.3 million figure was confirmed by parish financial records. However, the insurance savings claim remains unverified and EMS costs have not been independently assessed.

Parish Finance Director Chance Stephens provided documentation supporting the grant figures cited in this story.

Parish Finance Director Chance Stephens provided documentation supporting the grant figures cited in this story.

Correction: This article originally misquoted President Manola as citing insurance savings of "up to 50 percent." He said "up to 15 percent." WBR Independent regrets the error.