Boy These Veteran's are Something Else...In a Good Way

[The Founder]

The State of Louisiana has a law where you can apply for homestead exemption which is $75,000. Well if you are a 100% disabled veteran the homestead amount goes up to $150,000. Which means if your home is valued at $150k or below you are basically exempted from pay property taxes in the parish unless there is a fire fee which in this parish is $72 a year.

Well a Vet came in and signed his today and his question was: Well if I don't pay property taxes anymore who carries the weight?

I told him the taxpayers like myself who are proud to do it.

The face he made one of "finally I feel loved." I mean it was really moving. I then went on to tell him that my dad was 100% disabled and died from Agent Orange Cancer and that even if he passes away his wife will still be exempted.

I know we all have difficult days at work but when something like this happens I really feel good about my job.

My personal feeling is that any Veteran who is disabled should receive that amount of percentage from their taxes. All taxes.

 

[chocalate_topaz]

That sounded good to say...but the reality is that many MANY communities find themselves unable to fund basic things because so many folks are no longer paying taxes. The elderly exemptions, the veterans exemptions, the disability exemptions...you look up and only 40% of the populace is paying taxes...and that ain't cutting it for a LOT of towns. I know in the counties around here, it's been discussed over and over at how the aging populations are affecting their tax base. They have closed a public library...have only 2 people in the tax assessor's office...can;t afford to fix roads without getting grants...have county personnel working 4 days a week, etc. I support veterans but sometimes, the cost is too much...

 

[The Founder]

That sounded good to say...but the reality is that many MANY communities find themselves unable to fund basic things because so many folks are no longer paying taxes. The elderly exemptions, the veterans exemptions, the disability exemptions...you look up and only 40% of the populace is paying taxes...and that ain't cutting it for a LOT of towns. I know in the counties around here, it's been discussed over and over at how the aging populations are affecting their tax base. They have closed a public library...have only 2 people in the tax assessor's office...can;t afford to fix roads without getting grants...have county personnel working 4 days a week, etc. I support veterans but sometimes, the cost is too much...

It's up the local policy makers (elected officials) to manage it properly. The millage rates are determined by the budget. Many counties/parishes has leadership that no absolutely nothing about budgets, finances, or taxes.

Now I am not saying all veterans just the ones that have some percentage of disability.

This even goes back to that minimum wage increase....case and point Grambling receives much of it's budget from home owners which is why the millage rate is high. If Grambling had more businesses then the property taxes would be lower. You get a higher minimum wage business we go out of business and the millage rates will increase because of layoff etc.....and let's not get in to folks being laid off and homes going in to foreclosure.

 

[chocalate_topaz]

Your budgetary needs do push the millage rates, but at some point, the taxes become too high for the populace. Then folks began selling or placing it in those older folks names which = no or reduced taxes. This doesn't do anyone any good. I'm for everybody pulling their fair weight.

 

[The Founder]

Your budgetary needs do push the millage rates, but at some point, the taxes become too high for the populace. Then folks began selling or placing it in those older folks names which = no or reduced taxes. This doesn't do anyone any good. I'm for everybody pulling their fair weight.

Actually older folks in Louisiana can do a 65 or older freeze whereby their PARISH property tax can go down but not up. The only thing is their income cannot be more than $71,563. Basically their home value is frozen at that current value. Yet, when they sell the house/have the 65 older removed the home comes to the current valued amount.

The sad part is it's not the poor or middle class complaining about their property taxes, it's the rich. These bastards go out and buy a $500k house then gets mad when the value goes up. One dude told me he had enough money to buy another $600k house in cash in another parish but his ass did not want to pay the additional $400 on his taxes for his house. When I ask them the amount of homeowners insurance they have that is part of my justification for the value of their house.