The St. Mary Parish School Board unanimously adopted the adjusted millage rates for the 2008 tax year, deciding to remain "revenue neutral," and forego an additional $289,718 in revenues it could have earned by rolling forward.
Action at Thursday’s monthly school board meeting came despite two special school board advertisements in the local newspaper authorizing it to "roll forward" to the maximum levy allowable by state law.
The board’s agenda also called for the board to "adopt the adjusted millage rates after assessment (as required by state law) and roll forward the millage to a rate not to exceed the prior year’s maximum millage for the tax year 2008."
By remaining revenue neutral, the board agreed to levy the millage rates the St. Mary Parish Assessor’s Office suggested when property values were reassessed.
According to that assessment, property values increased nearly 2.4 percent during the past four years.
Board member Marilyn LaSalle of Patterson said because citizens are facing rising fuel costs, they should not be burdened with any additional taxes.
Board President Wayne Deslatte added that in the 2008-09 budget, the board was able to cover all its expenses.
The board was required by law to adopt the adjusted millage rates suggested by the Assessor’s Office. However, if it had chosen, it could have rolled forward its taxes, meaning it would have kept the same millage levied in 2007 in order to generate more money because of the increased property assessments.
The motion to adjust the tax millages was made by board Vice President Michael Taylor of Berwick and seconded by board member Murphy Pontiff of Franklin.
It passed unanimously.
A motion to remain revenue neutral was made by board member Roland Verret of Amelia and seconded by Taylor. It also was approved unanimously.
Following passage, Taylor said he was surprised by the "scathing" reports in The Daily-Review and Franklin Banner-Tribune that suggested that the board would roll forward its millage rates.
Despite the newspaper advertisements and wording of Thursday’s agenda, he said he wondered how the newspaper got the information stating the board would roll forward.
He said he did not receive a call from anyone at the newspaper and asked if any one else on the board had. Only Deslatte said he had received a call asking if the parish was going to roll forward. He said it had not been decided yet.
The board also unanimously approved a levy of 19 mills in the Consolidated School District 1 and 6.40 mills in the Special School District 4.
By remaining revenue neutral, the new millage rates in the general fund will be 8.4 mills for the constitutional school tax and 11.18 for the Consolidated School District 5.
Under special funds, which comprise the school board’s three maintenance districts, 11.64 mills will be collected from District 1, 12.25 for District 2 and 11.58 from District 3.
A public hearing was held prior to the regular meeting to discuss the taxes to be levied in 2008.
During the hearing, both Franklin resident Greg Young and St. Mary Industrial Group representative Cindy Cutrera spoke, urging the board to remain revenue neutral.
"Trust — it’s a very important word," Young said. "Voters placed their trust in you by electing you. If you would check with your constituents, you will find that the majority of them do not support increasing the amount of taxes you collect without a vote of the people."
Young noted that some government bodies have said they wanted to roll forward because of such things as higher fuel prices. He said many families and businesses face the same problems, but they adjust and make cuts.
Cutrera said SMIG believes that state law does allow some governmental entities that are not fiscally responsible to roll forward their millage rates.
However, she said SMIG believes that increasing these millage rates should be voted on by the people who would have to pay them.
She said SMIG would support any group that is fiscally responsible that goes before the people asking for and justifying a tax increase.