BATON ROUGE, LA – City-Parish leaders confirmed this week that an agreement is already in place to resell any unused road salt to the Tony Chachere’s company at a “modest profit” once the winter storm threat has fully passed, a move officials say reflects fiscal responsibility and practicality.
Mayor-President Sid Edwards said the city’s priority remains public safety, but emphasized that contingency planning does not end when the temperature rises above freezing.
“We prepared for the worst,” Edwards said. “If the storm underperforms, that doesn’t mean the investment disappears. It just means the asset gets redirected.”
According to city officials, the agreement allows Baton Rouge to recover a portion of its storm preparation costs rather than storing excess salt indefinitely or writing it off as a loss. Sources familiar with the discussions said the volume purchased was significant enough that resale conversations with the Chachere family began almost immediately.
Edwards stressed the salt will only be released for resale after all bridges, overpasses, and roadways are confirmed clear and safe. Any suggestion that the deal influenced purchasing decisions was pure speculation.
While officials declined to comment on potential profit margins, they confirmed the EBR Library has already laid claim to any proceeds, earmarking the funds for a helipad at its newest branch to improve response times for staff tasked with tracking down overdue books parishwide.
