For Immediate Release, Thursday, December 15, 2005
Contact:  Suzanne Parsons Stymiest @ 985-898-5243
 

Statement by Parish President Kevin Davis
Regarding Property Tax Relief for 2005
 

            For the past several weeks, officials from the parish, from cities and towns, fire districts, law enforcement, the public school system and other public service agencies have been discussing the best method to provide property tax relief to those hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina.  It is important that relief be provided to those most in need and in such a way that the relief causes the home or property owner no further harm. 

            We have collectively been seeking a solution that provides real relief to those storm victims who were hardest hit while at the same time maintaining essential services for all citizens.  This question has been especially crucial for our fire districts that rely almost exclusively on property taxes.  We cannot afford to make deep cuts in the very services that rescued people from their flooded rooftops, cut through roads and battled wildfires post-Katrina. Deep cuts in fire services will also result in increases in property insurance bills that may wipe out any property tax savings.

             Two methods were available to St. Tammany to reduce property taxes for 2005, reassessment and pro-ration.  Five entities were allowed to cast votes on which method to use in St. Tammany:  the Parish Council, the School Board, the Sheriff, the municipalities as a collective whole, and the Assessor.  Three of the five must have voted to consider pro-ration by today.  Some of the municipalities and the Parish Council voted to consider pro-ration.  The administration initially asked the Parish Council and municipalities to support considering pro-ration because firm figures were not available on the reassessment option.  Since then, the assessor has provided us these figures from her completed reassessment.  The other entities voted for reassessment. The majority of votes in St. Tammany were in favor of reassessment.  Therefore, according to guidelines set forth HB 148, St. Tammany Parish will use the reassessment method to provide tax relief for those most severely impacted by the storm. 

            Reassessment is solely under the direction of Assessor Patricia Core.  According to Ms. Core, her office has completed reassessing the hard hit areas of the parish.  She stated that the reassessment numbers she gave to the bodies who needed to make this decision are an accurate picture of what might reasonably be expected from 2005 property taxes. 

            The Parish will proceed with its 2006 budgeting process based upon her recommendation.

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