Overall, the parish millage rate for 2007 was 31.01, Iberia Parish Chief Administrative Officer Sally Angers said. That brought parish about $8.9 million split among several funds, including courthouse and jail maintenance, building maintenance, drainage, fire protection, the health unit and the library.
To bring in about the same amount of revenue, the millage rate for 2008 would be at least 27.81; however, the parish could ask for an increase up to a maximum rate of 32.62 mills. That would bring in about $10.9 million, an increase of 23 percent.
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According to state law, taxing districts must reduce their millage rates to collect the same amount of revenue. They have the option, however, to adjust, or roll forward, millage rates and collect more tax revenue without going to voters.
The amount of property tax revenue collected for all taxing districts in Iberia has almost doubled over the past nine years. In 1998, property tax revenue was $14.5 million, based on a parishwide taxable value of $198 million, according to the assessor’s office. In 2003, the revenue rose to $19.9 million, based on the parish’s taxable value of $263.5 million. Last year, property tax revenue rose to $27.4 million, based on a taxable value of $354.5 million. So from 1998 to 2007, the taxable value for the parish rose by 79 percent while tax revenues went up by 88 percent.
Although Parish Council Chairman Bernard Broussard would like to maintain the current levels of revenue for some parish property taxes, he said he would like more money for building operations.
“Everything — insurance, operational costs, etc. — is going up, just like those of your average citizen,” Broussard said. “I especially would like to see the additional revenue used for the jail.”
The Iberia Parish School Board will vote next week whether to increase its property tax rate. The city of New Iberia has decided to reduce its rate and collect the same revenue as last year.
At its May 12 meeting, the Jeanerette City Council voted on the lesser millage rate of 36.08. This breaks down to 19.35 for the general fund/purpose, 7.98 for the general fund for city tax, 3.75 for the general obligation bond series A and B for 1996 and 5 mills for the 2004 city’s share of the new water plant bond series.
“We vote on what we get from the parish assessors office,” said Jeanerette City Clerk Debi Domingue.
Other districts, such as the town of Delcambre, are still waiting for millage information to arrive from the parish assessors office.
The Parish Council’s public hearing is set for 6 p.m. July 9 in council chambers on the fourth floor of the Iberia Parish Courthouse.
Info. Box
Tax revenues 2007 2008(% increase) Maximum possible(%increase)
Courthouse and Jail $110,190.34 $116,178.23 (.543 ) $139,413.88 (26.52)
General parish $743,184.02 $892,421.87 (20.08) $1,049,164.52 (41.17)
Exempted municipalities $235,666.78 $283,941.77 (20.3) $ 343,718.98 (45.84)
drainage facilities $1,304, 517.89 $1,419,930.46 (8.84) $1,675, 434.17 (28.43)
fire protection $1,751,751.22 $1,751,016.32 (very small decrease) $2,044,115.73 (16.68)
health unit $687,707.80 $749,756.79(9.02) $883,791.53(28.512)
library $2,126,931.34 $2,127,801.40 (0.40) $2,513,151.26 (18.15)
library $212,693.13 $251,315.13 (18.15) $251,315.13 (18.15)
public buildings mtnc $1,687,365.53 $1,687,999.93 (0.03) $1,993,766.66 (18.15)
Comments
Deborah C. White wrote on Jun 10, 2008 9:02 AM:
tax payer wrote on Jun 10, 2008 6:57 AM:
Thank You so much for printing a "correction" to the above article relating to the date of the meeting... on PAGE 8 of Monday's newspaper!! "
tax payer wrote on Jun 9, 2008 4:59 PM:
enough is enough wrote on Jun 9, 2008 6:55 AM:
vote em out wrote on Jun 9, 2008 6:35 AM:
fed up wrote on Jun 9, 2008 6:27 AM: