Property Tax Increase without Vote of People

CENTRAL — The Louisiana Constitution provides that every four years, all real property in the state will be reappraised by the parish assessor, and 2012 is a reappraisal year.

Under the constitution, millage rates will be “rolled back” so that reappraisal results in no increase in property taxes.  But local governments can  then vote to “roll millages forward,” thereby increasing taxes without a vote of the people.

If every taxing body in East Baton Rouge Parish “rolled forward” tax millages to the maximum allowed, it could result in a tax increase of nearly $10 million.

Property owners in Central are already facing the possibility of two such property tax increases — from BREC and the Central Fire Department, both of which have published notice of their intention to “roll forward” the millage rate.  It takes a two-thirds’ vote of the body to pass the tax increase, but no vote of the people.

The Central Fire District will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 26 to raise property taxes by $151,572 a year.

BREC will hold a public hearing at 5:20 p.m. on Thursday, June 28 to raise property taxes parishwide by about $1.5 million a year.

Any citizen may appear and testify on the proposed tax increases.