Payments due by end of the month
Property owners in Jefferson Parish will receive their annual tax bills starting today, and most of them should see little difference from last year, Assessor Lawrence Chehardy said.
Lawrence ChehardyBecause 2010 is not a year when state law mandates a sweeping review of all property, the only valuation changes resulted from new construction, major renovations or destruction, such as from a fire, Chehardy said. As for the tax rates themselves, the West Bank saw tax renewals this year in some districts, but no new taxes went into force across the parish, he said.
"It was pretty quiet" in 2010, Chehardy said. "For the most part, it's minor changes."
The last comprehensive reassessment was in 2008. The next one is 2012.
By then Chehardy will be retired after 34 years of presiding over Jefferson Parish's tax rolls and building a reputation as one of Louisiana's most persistent promoters of the homestead exemption that gives a tax break on owner-occupied houses.
He leaves office Dec. 31. An election to replace him is April 2. In the interim, Chehardy's chief deputy will oversee all matters regarding the taxable value of property in Jefferson.
Chehardy, however, does not have a top deputy in place. He says he will name one by year's end and require the appointee to forswear running for the permanent post.
For 2010, Chehardy puts the total value of Jefferson Parish's residential, commercial and industrial property at $4 billion.
The Sheriff's Office, which serves as the tax collector, is mailing 177,935 tax bills, said Gregory Ruppert, director of the sheriff's revenue and taxation bureau. Among those, 164,381 are for residential or commercial buildings and land. Another 13,544 are for equipment owned by businesses.
Of the residential property notices, 18,149 will not require any payment because the assessments stand at $75,000 or lower, the amount covered by the state homestead exemption.
Tax payments must be postmarked by Dec. 31, Ruppert said.
"The first bills should start arriving in mailboxes by Wednesday," but the mail-outs are staggered, Ruppert said. "Not all the bills are printed in one day."
The Sheriff's Office provides three main ways to pay a property tax bill:
- In person: General Government Building, 200 Derbigny St., Suite 1200, Gretna, or Alwynn J. Cronvich Building, 3300 Metairie Road, Metairie. Checks only at Metairie location; no cash or credit cards.
- By mail: Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, P.O. Box 30014, Tampa, Fla. 33630-3014.
- Online: www.jpso.com and select "e-services."
If an owner does not receive a tax bill by Dec. 10, Ruppert suggested calling the Sheriff's Office at 504.363.5710.
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Mark Waller can be reached at mwaller@timespicayune.com or 504.883.7056.