2theadvocate.com | Legislature & Politics | Council defers tax pleas — Baton Rouge, LA

LEGISLATURE & POLITICS

Council defers tax pleas

  • By SCOTT DYER
  • Advocate staff writer
  • Published: Jul 24, 2008 - Page: 4A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.
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.

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  • PSL:

    I case you did not notice, property taxes can already be increased without the vote of the public. This is another option for the city-council (and the mayor) should the planned tax proposal not pass. Actually, it is probably an option even if the tax proposal does pass. Hold on to your wallets.

    What's this?
    Posted on Jul 24, 2008 at 7:00 AM
  • PSL:

    I cannot type. First word in previous message should be "In", not "I".

    What's this?
    Posted on Jul 24, 2008 at 7:36 AM
  • My Plate Is Full:

    When voters go to the polls they only read the large print, they never research, review and read the entire proposition, or whatever, before voting and that's where the hidden features are located in the small print. But the "Assessors are required by law to re-evaluate all property in a parish every four years, and 2008 is one of those years." Well, so far no one has shown up at my door to reassess my house and property and I know of no one who has had this done. It is by reviewing records or actually seeing the properties? If the assessor's office would do their job then maybe some of the people who have owned huge houses for years with low taxes would be paying their fair share for all the increases. And as PSL said property taxes can be increased without the vote of the public per quote: "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" But someone needs to explain this one to me: " 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." If you roll back the tax rate, then how in the h*ll can you generate the same revenue?? I admit I'm not the smartest kid on the block but this doesn't make sense to me.

    What's this?
    Posted on Jul 24, 2008 at 8:55 AM
  • BOB:

    What they mean by roll back taxes means if in 2002 your house and property was valves at 100,000 and the rate was 9% and this year your house and property is valved at 125,000 the rate would go down to make the same money as if your house was still valved at 100,000 with rate of 9. (which would be $9000 meaning 100,000 x .09, in contrast they would take you valve of 125,000 divide it into 9000 and that would be your new rate which would be .072 or 7.2%)... and this year your house and property is valved at 125,000 the rate would go down to make the same money as if your house was still valved at 100,000 with rate of 9. Now this is just example and I am using percentage and not millage... and if they would keep it at 9% with your valve going up to 125,000 you would pay 11250.. increase of 2250 dollars.. Hope this explains it to you "my plate is full"

    What's this?
    Posted on Jul 24, 2008 at 9:29 AM
  • Billy Bob Doodle:

    Firemen packed that metro council last night. The metro council was defnitely under a lot of pressure to raise our property taxes, and roll the millages forward. Everybody FOR these taxes showed up last night. Hardly anyone against new taxes or rolling millages forward showed.

    What's this?
    Posted on Jul 24, 2008 at 10:05 AM

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