Property assessments are up almost $4 million from last year, parish Assessor James “Jimbo” Petitjean told the Acadia Parish Police Jury.
After three consecutive years of decline, assessments are up to $384,759,698 for 2018, compared to $380,822,348 last year, Petitjean said at the Sept. 11 meeting.
In 2012, when Petitjean took office, total parish assessments were recorded at $295,378,020. They rose a little more than $10 million the following year and peaked at $391,280,569 in 2014.
The big bump in the latest assessments was in the area of real estate, which increased from $223.8 million in 2017 to $231.1 million in 2018, according to Petitjean.
The biggest decline was in public service assessments, which dropped from $137.8 million in 2017 to $132.7 million in 2018, Petitjean said.
Other points of interests noted by Petitjean included:
— Total taxpayers increased from 35,162 in 2017 to 35,490 in 2018;
— Total homesteads increased from 16,955 in 2017 to 17,117 in 2018;
— Total parcels increased from 41,523 in 2017 to 41,837 in 2018;
— Total parcel items increased rom 77,914 in 2017 to 78,506 in 2018; and
— Total notices increased from 34,853 in 2017 to 35,189 in 2018.
After accepting Petitjean’s report, the jury sat as a board of review for two appeals.
— Egan Hub Storage, LLC, claimed that the assessment of $23,254,050 on its property is incorrect and that the property should have been assessed at $16,762,925. This would represent a difference in tax revenue of $750,000, according to Petitjean.
— Perdido Energy Louisiana, LLC, claimed that the assessment of $465,933 should have been $94,520, representing a difference of about $5,000 in taxpable payments, according to Petitjean.
The assessor explained the methods used to determine the assessments and the jury denied both appeals.
Petitjean said the two companies will no likely take the appeals to the Public Service Commission.
“But we’re ready to fight them there,” he said. “I’m confident in our assessments and our staff.”
