Council defers tax pleas
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The Metro Council deferred requests Wednesday from several city-parish agencies seeking to leave their property tax millages at current rates in order to generate more revenue.
After falling one vote short of the eight votes needed to increase the revenue, the council agreed to defer the requests until its next meeting, on Aug. 13.
Assessors are required by law to re-evaluate all property in a parish every four years, and 2008 is one of those years. Local taxing authorities are required by law to roll back their tax rates to levels that would generate the same tax revenue as the previous year.
Local authorities have the option, with a two-thirds vote of the taxing body, of imposing the same tax rate as the current year in order to generate additional money.
Among the agencies seeking permission to roll forward their millage is the library system, which wants to keep its parish-wide millage at the 11.1 mills instead of reducing it to 10.39 mills. The move would generate this year an extra $2.2 million in property taxes which library officials say they need to open, equip and staff four new libraries that are on the drawing board.
Also seeking council approval to roll forward its parishwide millage is Emergency Medical Services, which wants its millage to remain at 3.13 instead of getting reduced to 2.93 mills.
Other agencies seeking council approval Wednesday to roll forward their millage include the Downtown Development District in downtown Baton Rouge, the Alsen Fire Protection District, the Brownsfield Fire Protection District, and Consolidated Road Lighting District No. 1, in parts of unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish. Also, there is a request to roll forward the tax for Baton Rouge municipal fire salaries and benefits.
After falling one vote short of the eight votes needed to increase the revenue, the council agreed to defer the requests until its next meeting, on Aug. 13.
Assessors are required by law to re-evaluate all property in a parish every four years, and 2008 is one of those years. Local taxing authorities are required by law to roll back their tax rates to levels that would generate the same tax revenue as the previous year.
Local authorities have the option, with a two-thirds vote of the taxing body, of imposing the same tax rate as the current year in order to generate additional money.
Among the agencies seeking permission to roll forward their millage is the library system, which wants to keep its parish-wide millage at the 11.1 mills instead of reducing it to 10.39 mills. The move would generate this year an extra $2.2 million in property taxes which library officials say they need to open, equip and staff four new libraries that are on the drawing board.
Also seeking council approval to roll forward its parishwide millage is Emergency Medical Services, which wants its millage to remain at 3.13 instead of getting reduced to 2.93 mills.
Other agencies seeking council approval Wednesday to roll forward their millage include the Downtown Development District in downtown Baton Rouge, the Alsen Fire Protection District, the Brownsfield Fire Protection District, and Consolidated Road Lighting District No. 1, in parts of unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish. Also, there is a request to roll forward the tax for Baton Rouge municipal fire salaries and benefits.
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