Voters have eight constitutional amendments to decide on the November 8th ballot. Amendment #6 could be a source of some confusion as it pertains only to property owners in one parish; Orleans.
Public Affairs Research Council president Steven Procopio says it has to be voted on statewide because it is a proposed change to the Constitution. He says it places a 10-percent cap on how much Orleans residents’ property assessments can go up in a single year.
“So say your house is currently $100,000 and you get an assessment for $130,000, your assessment can only go up 10% to $110,000,” said Procopio.
Procopio says voting YES on Amendment 6 will give Orleans property owners a cushion against any drastic tax hikes.
“The idea behind it is that it’s hard for people to deal with large tax increases all at once and so this essentially smooths it out, so they are not hit by one big shock.” said Procopio.
A vote of NO would maintain the current property tax system in Orleans Parish as it is, which could have unintended consequences.
“This could effect the revenues that these locals are getting in that area, which are needed for important services like schools, police, fire and etcetera,” said Procopio.
Procopio says PAR never tells voters how they should vote on these matters. They provide information so you can make that decision yourself.
To read more about the amendments, click here.
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