By Patricia Morris
Should the citizens of the Woodbridge and other areas affected by the "error" made in accessing these citizens who could not vote for a tax, yet had to pay for one, and should the people in the Ponchatoula area who voted for the millage, yet did not have to pay it see it addressed? We say yes to both questions. Was this an initial error, or is it now one because this "error" has been revealed to the U.S. Department of Justice?
It has been reported to the Department of Justice the total amount collected for a three year period - 2007, 2008, and 2009 totals $133,670.45. The following is a breakdown of the three years mentioned:
2007 - (15.0 Mills) - $ 41,944.55
2008 - (13.0 Mills) - $ 44,324.03
2009 - (12.5 Mills) - $ 47,401.87
TOTAL - $133, 670.45
Act 819 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes allows a taxpayer to petition an incorrect tax payment and receive reimbursement up to three years. This passage is found on page 15 of 102 of this act.
It is felt it will be prudent for the affected taxpayers to petition the Assessors' Office for more information on filing for a reimbursement, since this is the law.
As an addition, since Mr. Schnadelbach has asked in an email to Attorney David Henderson, TPSS's Bonding Attorney, if the school system is required to make reimbursement to the citizens, Mr. Kolwe and the Board should do the honorable thing and refund the citizens their tax monies paid and was collected erroneously, and not do so because this is an election year, but because it is the right thing to do.
Finally, since it is believed the same problem(s) exists across Tangipahoa Parish, this too, should be addressed and corrected with refunds paid to those citizens who are found in a similar situation of seeing their tax dollars go to area school districts their children cannot attend, or explain why this happened in the first place. There should be one single bonding tax district.
Click here for the original email