Livingston Parish council adopts 2025 assessment list; assessor reports $1.248 billion total assessments

The Livingston Parish Council, sitting as the Board of Review, voted unanimously on Sept. 25, 2025, at the Livingston Parish Building Office to adopt a resolution certifying the 2025 assessment list and a second resolution sustaining the valuations fixed by the assessor and the Louisiana Tax Commission.

Jeff Taylor, Livingston Parish tax assessor, told the council the total assessed valuation for tax year 2025 is $1,248,000,000 and that taxable value grew from $925,000,000 to $958,000,000, an increase of $32,000,000 over 2024. "If you look at [the packet], you'll see what we've done over the last year," Taylor said, presenting the numbers to the council.

Taylor provided a breakdown of categories reported by the assessor's office: real property at about $1,084,000,000 (up from roughly $1,053,000,000), personal property rising to about $108,000,000 (from $102,000,000, an increase of about $6,400,000) and public-service valuations increasing to about $55,000,000 (from about $52,000,000). Taylor said public-service valuations (for utilities, railways and similar accounts) are reported to and handled by the Louisiana Tax Commission and that assessors have had disputes over the quality of data those filings contain. "We're trying to get some legislation in ... I don't think that we're getting the best, reliable information out of that," Taylor said, describing ongoing efforts with other assessors to press for greater transparency and auditability in public-service reporting.

Taylor also described a public-information campaign by the assessor's office to make residents aware of exemptions and freezes that may affect their assessments, including an age-based freeze. He said residents "65 years old" who make less than $100,000 a year may qualify to freeze their assessment, and the office is increasing outreach via billboards, television, podcasts and direct mail. "I just feel like more information is better," Taylor said.

The council received and placed two formal resolutions on the record. The first resolved that the Livingston Parish Council, acting as the Board of Review, formally accept certification of the 2025 assessment list submitted by the assessor of Livingston Parish. The motion was made by Councilman Mangus and seconded by Councilman Boscombe; the roll call recorded unanimous "yes" votes by Councilmen Coates, Taylor, Erde, Watts, Wascomb, Sandifer and Mangus. The second resolution, which the council described as sustaining the valuations as fixed by the Louisiana Tax Commission and the assessor for tax year 2025, was moved by Councilwoman Sanderford and seconded by Councilman Mangus and passed by the same recorded unanimous vote.

Council members and the assessor also noted that the assessor's office received a national award for its annual comprehensive financial report. The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) awarded the Livingston Parish Assessor's Office a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2023. The council recognized the office for that accomplishment during the meeting.

After the council adopted the resolutions, Taylor said the certified assessment list will be forwarded to the Louisiana Tax Commission and the legislative auditor and then the assessor's office will coordinate with the sheriff's office to issue tax notices to property owners. The meeting then moved to adjournment.