Many people in District B are becoming alarmed that their property tax assessments increased. The fear seems to be that taxes will be uniformly higher with this reassessment. I hope to allay those fears.
First, it is important to understand that assessments are merely one portion of the equation to determine a property’s tax rate. Assessment times millage = tax rate. So, until the millages are set in November, it is impossible to know a property’s tax rate.
Second, we have all seen the reports about disparate property tax rates throughout the city — properties with drastically different assessments even though they are on the same block, the same size, and in the same condition. Owners of similarly situated properties should not bear different tax burdens. If the property tax system were consistent, some people should actually pay less in taxes next year, for the burden would be shared equitably throughout the city. Frankly, the people who have shouldered this unfair burden are the young professionals and middle class that we so desperately need to attract and retain. And I do not believe that the argument that because people have been paying what’s less than legally required (because their houses have not been reassessed for decades), is a legitimate argument that they should not be reassessed now. If we have a fair taxation system, I will work diligently to have the millages lowered from 2007 levels. And you can be sure, that I will demand that the assessments are fair city-wide through working with the Louisiana Tax Commission or through litigation.
Finally, if you believe that your assessment is too high (i.e. not the fair market value of the property), you should appeal to your Assessor in person, between August 1 and 15, 2007. If you do not receive a satisfactory answer from your Assessor, you may appeal again by completing a form at the Assessor’s office. The hearings for this level of appeal are heard by the City Council in September or October. After that, appeal is available to the Louisiana Tax Commission.