Feb 13

Written by: host
2/13/2010 8:37 AM

Recently, it was discovered the Tangipahoa Parish School system has been collecting a millage for a school that was closed shortly after this millage was passed for this school - Crystal Street Alternate School - this school system claims they can legally continue to collect this tax.  Maybe they can, however, it is not fair that people who pay this millage for an alternate school, a magnet school, and for the Independence Recreation District who resides in Tickfaw and Natalbany is not conducive to fairness, nor is it fair for taxpayers in Ponchatoula, Robert, and Baptist to vote for a tax in the Hammond area, and not have to pay this tax.  All who are affected by this act should check their tax bills and ask questions, especially those who have to pay these erroneous bill(s).

The NAACP wanted to know exactly how much money had been collected over the years since this millage was passed by the citizens of Hammond and surrounding areas who pay property taxes, and we received this public information from the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Department, who is the Ex-Officio Tax Collector for this parish, and the Tangipahoa Parish Assessor's Office on what would have been collected had all property owning citizens paid their property tax bills, and the amounts is as follows for the Crystal Street Alternate School District:

 

Proposed	Actual
2006 - $525,436.69	2006 - $ 505,113.09
2007 - $ 563,769.06	2007 - $ 557,458.71
2008 - $ 630,436.43	2008 - $ 639,185.76
2009 - $ 694,956.86	2009 - $ 633,242.80

(Tax Collections are not complete under the Actual Amount Collected until after the May 2010 property tax sale and closure of year)                                                                                                                                                              

These amounts are reflective of what is proposed to be collected by the TP Assessor's Office, and what is actually collected by the TPSO for the time periods listed.

While Mr. Kolwe is now saying he will no longer collect this Crystal Street Alternate School millage, we question why he continued to collect the millage for as long as he has for a school this millage was dedicated for, yet was closed.  Although the verbiage might suggest this millage could yet be used for this alternate school, it is yet highly questionable when their (TPSS) Legislative Audit Report is viewed.  We question when Mr. Kolwe will notify the Assessor's Office if these millages will be repealed, and when will it be done; before or after the Fiscal Year Ending July 2010.  Will there be a refund given to the taxpayers in the illegal areas this tax was collected, and will it be announced throughout the media outlets?

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