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Kenner cuts property tax 3.4 percent amid rising real estate values
Source:
nola.com
- Oct 5, 2012
By Drew Broach, staff writer
on October 04, 2012 at 6:17 PM, updated October 04, 2012 at 8:58 PM
Kenner lowered its property tax 3.4 percent Thursday to avoid harvesting more revenue amid rising real estate values. The City Council voted 7-0 to reduce the rate for 2012, putting Kenner on track to collect $8.4 million, the same as last year.
The decision came in the wake of Jefferson Parish Assessor Tom Capella's estimation that the total value of property in Kenner rose 3.4 percent. Without a reduction in the tax, from 18.13 mills to 17.51 mills, Kenner would collect an extra $300,000, city officials said.
While the lower tax means no change in revenue for City Hall, individual property owners could pay more or less in taxes, depending on their specific assessments. "If your assessed value went up 5 percent," Finance Director Duke McConnell said, "you're going to pay a little more."
The annual practice of setting the property tax level is always a tricky decision for city and parish politicians. Few want to be known for causing property owners to pay more, yet most say they are always looking for additional revenue to keep up with the rising costs of government, especially insurance, and to deliver more services to the public.
Homeowners, too, can be of two minds on the assessor's valuations, depending on the timing. Councilwoman Michele Branigan, a real estate agent, said higher valuations thrill owners who are looking to sell their houses, but "when the assessment comes out, no one wants their taxes to go up."
Category: Louisiana
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