Walker board votes to roll tax millages forward

WALKER — The Walker Board of Aldermen’s decision to roll property tax millages forward will have little financial impact on residents or the city, Mayor Bobby Font said Tuesday.

The board voted unanimously Monday night to raise millages back to last year’s rate after the millages were automatically lowered because of higher assessments.

Had the aldermen not taken that action, the city would have lost the ability to return to that rate in coming years, Font said.

City Clerk Myra Streeter said if the previous millage rate was not adopted for this year, the city could experience revenue decreases in the future.

The approved millage rate will result in an annual revenue increase of about $1,100 for the city, Streeter said.

Walker’s millage rate is 2.2 mills.

The property tax on this millage would be $22 for a person with a $175,000 home that has a $75,000 homestead exemption.

The tax would have been $21.80 on a home of equal value if the board had stayed with the adjusted millages that automatically were rolled back because of increased property values in the city. The adjusted millage rate after reassessment was 2.18 mills.

After a reassessment, millages are automatically adjusted so the taxing agencies would receive the same amount of money as the year before.

With a two-thirds vote of the governing board, the taxing agencies can roll the millages forward to a higher rate and receive additional revenue.

Other matters coming before the board included:

RAILROAD CROSSINGS: Chief of Staff Fred Raiford announced Livingston Parish will use grant funds to upgrade railroad crossings in the city.

The upgrades require no funds from Walker and will ensure road stripes and signs at railroad crossings meet new safety requirements.