NEW ORLEANS — It’s time for the Orleans Parish assessor to look at property values across the city.
There have been a lot of headlines about those values going up. But that’s just one step in a long, convoluted process.
These answers might help to bring a little bit of clarity.
Will your property taxes go up?
In a word: Probably. But not necessarily.
There are several different government agencies that tax property owners. They all set their own tax rates. By law, they must do what’s called “rolling back” millages after a reassessment. That means your property taxes don’t increase.
They then have the right to “roll forward” millages, in other words, they have the right to increase taxes. But that increase is not a given, and the amounts can vary.
Right now, the average tax bill for a homeowner in Orleans Parish is about $3,100 per year.
In some rare instances, your tax bill could actually go down once this valuing process is all said and done. But that’s the exception, not the rule.
RELATED: People fear they'll have to leave New Orleans after new property assessment skyrockets home values
Who gets all that property tax money?
Your property tax money is divided up among the city to pay for things like fire and police and the library.
It also goes to agencies such as the School Board, the Sewerage & Water Board, the zoo and aquarium and levee boards, just to name a few.
For the city in particular, why does the Cantrell administration say it needs more money?
Well, city leaders say the budget is about $100 million below where it needs to be.
They are going to push the City Council to “roll forward” the millage. In plain English: Increase taxes for the city, which they have the right to do.
Chief Administrative Officer Gilbert Montano said the city needs to start planning now for the future. And he says that means increasing revenue.
If that doesn’t go up, he says some drastic action could happen.
“If you want to use a visual, we’ll continue to tread water. Sometimes you dunk, sometimes you stay above. But you -- ultimately you’re not moving forward,” Montano said. “You’re treading water. And without getting too much in the weeds, if the future roll-forward doesn’t go forward, I will actually have to make cuts.”
How to appeal your property assessment
If you feel your property assessment is too high, there could be some relief.
You can appeal it until August 19.
You can do that online or at City Hall, the Algiers Courthouse or the Lakeview Christian Center on Fleur de lis Drive in Lakeview.
In a worst-case scenario, your assessment went up by more than 50 percent and doesn’t change.
In that case, State Senator JP Morrell wrote a bill that will phase in increased taxes during a four-year period.