BATON ROUGE - Jobs are on the line within the city-parish leading up to Saturday's tax election, but leaders are also considering where to cut costs in the upcoming budget cycle.

Some of the highest-paid positions in city hall are on the third floor, and after last week's budget proposal, Mayor-President Sid Edwards says those jobs could be cut next year.

"We're not going to sit up there as kings on the third floor," Mayor-President Sid Edwards said.

Last week, Edwards presented his budget, where he announced each department would need to reduce its budget by 11%. In many departments, cuts would come from eliminating vacant positions. In other departments, actual employees could be let go. In the Mayor-President's office, programs could be cut to save jobs.

"I can't spend money I don't have," Edwards said. "The cuts are going across the board, but I'm not touching BRPD or the fire department."

The mayor-president's salary is $195,000, and some staff positions in his office earn near or above six figures. If voters reject the Thrive EBR tax plan Saturday, Edwards says even more cuts could hit his office.

"There's no way I'm going to run the third floor with high-paying positions, while these people over here are being cut," Edwards said. "I need the sun to come up on Sunday morning."