§1705. Information supplied to assessor and legislative auditor by tax recipient agencies; additional notices

A. All tax recipient agencies of ad valorem taxes of each and every parish of the state of Louisiana, the parish of Orleans excepted, including the police jury, school board, levee district, special districts, municipalities, and all tax recipients of any nature whatsoever of ad valorem taxes, except municipalities which prepare their own tax rolls, are hereby required to furnish the assessor and the legislative auditor the authorizing ordinances or resolutions and the tax rate to be applied to the assessed values for ad valorem tax purposes not later than June first of each year, and not later than September first of each year for such tax recipient agencies in the parish of St. Charles.

B.(1)(a) For any taxing authority with a governing authority membership which is elected by the voters, increases in the millage rate in excess of the rates established as provided by Article VII, Section 23(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, but not in excess of the prior year's maximum authorized millage rate may be levied by two-thirds vote of the total membership of a taxing authority without further voter approval but only after a public hearing held in accordance with the open meetings law.

(b)(i) Any taxing authority with a governing authority membership which is not elected by the voters may increase a millage rate in excess of the rates established as provided in Article VII, Section 23(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, but not in excess of the prior year's maximum authorized millage rate. Such increased millage shall also be limited to an amount which would increase the ad valorem taxes collected by the taxing authority by no more than two and one-half percent of the collections for the calendar year immediately preceding the year for which the increased millage rate is effective.

(ii) The provisions of this Subparagraph shall not apply to taxing authorities which are special fire protection or fire department districts nor shall they affect the provisions of Article VI, Section 39(A) of the Constitution of Louisiana.

(2) In order to accomplish this result, the following shall be mandatory:

(a) Each tax recipient body shall adopt an ordinance or resolution which shall set forth and designate the adjusted millage rate as required by Article VII, Section 23(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana.

(b) Each tax recipient body shall adopt another separate ordinance or resolution which shall provide for such millage rate increases by two-thirds vote and shall set forth and designate not only the increased millage rate but also the adjusted millage rate as required in Subparagraph (a) above and by Article VII, Section 23(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana.

(c)(i) In addition to any notice requirements provided for in Article VII, Section 23(C) of the Constitution of Louisiana and this Section, any tax recipient body which proposes to hold a public hearing in any tax year for the purpose of levying additional or increased millages on property without further voter approval shall publish, by the date provided for in Item (ii) of this Subparagraph, public notice of the date, time, and place of the hearing. The notice shall contain a statement that the tax recipient body intends to consider at the hearing levying additional or increased millage rates without further voter approval. It shall also contain the following information relating to the proposal for the increased millage sought under the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection.

(aa) An estimate of the amount of tax revenues to be collected in the next tax year from the increased millage as compared to the amount of tax revenue for the current year, and the amount of increase in taxes attributable to the millage increase.

(bb) For purposes of the Internet publication only, the notice shall contain a recitation of the current budget of the taxing authority.

(ii)(aa) The notice shall be published on two separate days, occurring no less than thirty days before the hearing date, in the official journal of the taxing authority, and in another newspaper with a larger circulation within the taxing authority than the official journal of the taxing authority, if there is one. On the first day of publication, the notice shall also be posted on the Internet website of the taxing authority, if such taxing authority maintains an Internet website. The Internet posting shall remain active until such time as the taxing authority has taken action to approve or disapprove, or has abandoned action on, the proposed millage increase.

(bb) Repealed by Acts 2018, No. 75, §2.

(iii) Requirements for the notice required in this Subparagraph shall be prescribed by the Louisiana Tax Commission which requirements shall include:

(aa) Prominent placement in the newspaper in a section other than the classified advertisement or public notice section.

(bb) Formatting in a box with a bolded outline.

(cc) A size of not less than two columns by four inches.

(dd) Print in bold face type.

(iv) The additional publications in the official journal as required by this Subparagraph shall be provided by the official journal at a charge not in excess of the rates assessed and charged for regular commercial advertising.

(v) Failure to timely accomplish such publication shall make the adoption at such a hearing of any resolution or ordinance providing for the adoption of additional or increased millage null, void, and of no effect.

(vi) Each tax recipient body required to publish public notice pursuant to this Subparagraph shall also provide to the assessor in its parish or district as the case may be, the date, time and place of its pending hearing. Each assessor shall maintain a list of each of the pending hearing dates in his parish or district as the case may be and may publish such hearing dates on his website.

(d) In addition to the requirements for publication provided for in this Subparagraph, the tax recipient body shall issue a press release to newspapers with substantial distribution within the parish of the tax recipient's jurisdiction and to area broadcast media.

(e) The provisions of Subparagraphs (B)(2)(c) and (d) of this Section shall not apply in the parish of Rapides.

(f) In the event of cancellation or postponement of a public hearing which was scheduled for the consideration of a proposal to levy additional or increased millages on property as provided in this Subsection, or in the event that such a proposal was considered at the public hearing without action or vote, then any future public hearing to consider such proposal shall be advertised and publicized as required in this Subsection, except that no newspaper advertisement shall be required.

C. In order for the taxing bodies to comply with the requirements hereof, each assessor shall furnish to the taxing authorities in his parish by May 1 of each year that reassessment occurs a statement showing the assessed value of taxable property that appeared on the tax roll of the prior year before and after reassessment and application of changes in the homestead exemption.

D. In order to carry out the mandate of Article VII, Section 23(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, the legislative auditor is hereby authorized and required to review the millages levied by each tax recipient body in each year that reassessment occurs to determine whether the millages levied are in compliance with the provisions of this Section and the constitution. The legislative auditor is also authorized and required to review the millages levied by each tax recipient body in each year in which an increase in millage is made by a two-thirds vote of the total membership of the taxing authority under the provisions of Article VII, Section 23(C) of the Constitution of Louisiana, to determine whether the millage levied is in compliance with the provisions of this Section and the Constitution. The auditor shall order changes in the amount of millage levied if the auditor determines thereafter that a mathematical error or mathematical errors have been made in the calculation of the adjustment of millages as required by this Section and the Constitution of Louisiana.

Acts 1965, No. 91, §1. Amended by Acts 1968, No. 428, §1; Acts 1978, No. 1, §2, eff. May 3, 1978; Acts 1979, No. 600, §1; Acts 1981, No. 433, §1; Acts 1981, Ex.Sess., No. 28, §1, eff. Nov. 19, 1981; Acts 1986, No. 1032, §1, eff. July 17, 1986; H.C.R. No. 88, 1993 R.S., eff. May 30, 1993; H.C.R. No. 1, 1994 R.S., eff. May 11, 1994; Acts 2005, No. 143, §1; Acts 2005, No. 496, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2006; Acts 2009, No. 498, §1; Acts 2009, No. 528, §1; Acts 2010, No. 1027, §1, eff. July 8, 2010; Acts 2012, No. 539, §1; Acts 2014, No. 314, §1, eff. May 28, 2014; Acts 2018, No. 75, §§1, 2.