NEW ORLEANS - District "D" Councilmember Jared Brossett has issued the following statement regarding upcoming hearing notifications for Orleans Parish property owners appealing their tax assessments:

"As your Councilmember and Budget Chair, I am very concerned about the implications recent increases in property tax assessments will have on homeowners, renters, and our affordable housing stock. New Orleans has always been a vibrant community with a diverse mix of socio-economic classes. Rising assessments threaten the fabric of our communities by further aggravating the City's affordability crisis and forcing term residents out of their homes. With more than 70% of New Orleanians spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs, it is imperative that we have fair and equitable property tax assessments for the entire city. While it will take time to find the right solutions to these issues, I would like to take this opportunity to educate residents about the next stage in the property tax appeals process.

Residents who are unhappy with their 2020 property tax assessment and filed an appeal with the Orleans Parish Assessor's Office on or before August 22, 2019, will be notified by mail beginning this week regarding their hearing. The letters will come from the New Orleans City Council, acting in its capacity as the Orleans Parish Board of Review.

The 2020 Property Tax Assessment Appeal Hearings will be held in the Lac Maurepas Meeting Room, Student Life Center 2nd floor, 916 Navarre Ave., Delgado Community College, beginning on September 13, 2019. Hearings will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays, and 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. The letters will include the hearing date and time and will offer contact information for those seeking additional information about the tax assessment appeal process.

Appellants may also view the 2020 Property Tax Assessment Appeal Hearing Schedule at OrleansTaxAppeal.com. This schedule will be available on the website as soon as all appeals information is compiled, between September 4-9.

The Board of Review and it's hearing officers may consider appeals based on fair market value, or use value, and may not consider other factors for appeal. Documentation that will best support an appeal may include, but is not limited to:

1. Recent appraisal

2. Insurance policy

3. Dated photograph(s) indicating a value that differs from assessed value; and/or

4. Contractor's repair estimate(s)

The Board of Review is your first opportunity to contest your assessment before an impartial third-party. I want to assure taxpayers that if they feel that their property has been unfairly assessed, the Board of Review has established a fair and efficient hearing process. Not only do Orleans Parish residents already have the most time to appeal tax assessments (one month versus two weeks) due to a law that I wrote when I was a State Representative, but over the years the City Council has created the most robust appeals process in the state. 

The Board of Review's hearing officers will give each appellant a fair hearing based on the evidence provided in the appeal documentation, and/or at the hearing. These hearing officers have often differed with the Assessor's determination regarding recommendations to the Board of Review that end up providing relief to taxpayers. Once the appeals hearings are complete, the City Council will convene as the Board of Review on October 16 to receive public comment and certify tax assessments, as adjusted by the Board.

I realize that this year's tax assessment process has been especially painful, complicated and drawn-out for many residents, but I am committed to enacting policies that make New Orleans affordable for residents of all income levels."

Additional information and resources about the Property Tax Assessment Appeal Process can be found at OrleansTaxAppeal.com, council.nola.gov, by calling 1-888-229-7314, or by emailing info@orleanstaxappeal.com. For the 2020 Property Tax Assessment Appeal Hearing Schedule, click here.
 

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Contact:

Domonique Dickerson
Chief of Staff
Councilmember Jared C. Brossett, Chair of Budget/Audit/BoR Committee
504-658-1040
dcdickerson@nola.gov