SULPHUR — The Calcasieu Parish Tax Assessor’s Office gauges property values, but it should also take the time to explain that
appraisal process to the public, the assessor told the West Calcasieu Association of Commerce on Thursday.
“I’ve discovered that a lot of people
really don’t understand what we do, how we do it, and why we do it,”
Wendy Aguillard,
parish assessor, said. “I think it’s part of my job and my staff’s
job to make sure that the public gets to know us and that
they know what we do.”
The tax notices that residents receive
consist of two parts — an assessed value and a millage rate, she said.
The rates are
set by the various taxing districts, and the tax amount is arrived
at by multiplying the millage by the assessed value, Aguillard
said.
“We don’t pull the values out of thin air. We have to first follow the law, and the law says that we are to discover, list
and value all the property in our parish for ad valorem taxation purposes,” she said.
“We have a lot of different ways that we gather our data and then analyze that data. Then, we have to record it in list form and that’s called a tax roll — which is open
for the public to inspect — and then it is sent to all the different districts in
Taxing districts decide what their millages will be based on the value that was assessed and sent to them, she said. The tax
rolls and millage rates are then sent to the Louisiana Tax Commission for approval, Aguillard said.
After that’s done, the Calcasieu Sheriff’s Office — because the sheriff is the tax collector — sends out notices to property
owners and later disburses money to the taxing districts, she said.
“Reassessment is important and it’s a mandate that is set forth by the state that says by law each assessor’s office has to
reassess property at least every four years,” Aguillard said. “The purpose of reassessment is to bring values up to market
value.”
Online: www.calcasieuassessor.org.