ACT 693 - 2014 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

To enact R.S. 24:523.1, relative to the legislative auditor; to provide for the posting of notices relative to misappropriation, fraud, waste, or abuse of public funds; and to provide for related matters.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:

Section 1. R.S. 24:523.1 is hereby enacted to read as follows:

§523.1. Notices to be posted

A. Every auditee shall post and keep posted in conspicuous places upon its premises a notice, prepared by the legislative auditor and located on his website, setting forth information concerning the reporting of the misappropriation, fraud, waste, or abuse of public funds.

B. Every auditee shall also post such notices on the website of the auditee.

About Taxes

The Iberia Parish Assessor's Office must appraise and assess value on approximately 68,000 parcels of property.The Louisiana constitution requires the assessor to list and place a value on all property that is subject to ad valorem taxes. Ad valorem means according to value. The value that the assessor determines is called assessed value and is a percentage of fair market value or use value as prescribed by law. The assessed value is calculated as a percentage of the market value as provided for by law.

Land (Residential and Commercial): 10% FMV
Residential Improvements: 10% FMV
Commercial Improvements: 15% FMV
Commercial Personal Property: 15% FMV
Public Service (value set by LTC): 25% FMV

Taxes are calculated by multiplying the assessed value by the tax rate set by various millages, bond rates and fees voted on by registered voters in different districts established by the Legislature or Constitution. If the property is your home, you may deduct a maximum of $7,500 from the total assessed value before finding the taxable assessed value. For example, if your home is valued at $100,000 and assessed at 10%, or $10,000, and you are eligible and have signed for homestead exemption, you would calculate your taxes as follows:

Parish City
Assessed Value 10,000 10,000
Homestead Exemption - 7,500 - 0
Taxable Assessed Value 2,500 10,000
Assumed Tax Rate x .070 x .020
Totals $ 175 $ 200

The Iberia Parish Tax Collector, which is the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office, is responsible for mailing the tax notices and collecting the taxes based on the assessments and the millage rates. The annual parish tax notices are mailed out in November and are due by December 31 of that year.

Each municipality within the parish is responsible for mailing the tax notices and collecting the taxes based on the assessments and the millage rates for that municipality. The municipality sets these millage rates or tax rates.

The different governing bodies within the parish set millage rates for the parish. These governing bodies include the Iberia Parish School Board, Iberia Parish Sheriff, Iberia Parish Council, and several others. Also, there may be additional millages set for the individual Fire Districts, Recreation Districts, etc. that depend on where the property is located.