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Bill to stop parish homestead‑exemption mailings reported favorable; assessor says it will save $13,000
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Summary
Senate Bill 89 would remove the requirement that a small number of parishes mail annual homestead‑exemption notice cards. Taob Troxler, tax assessor for Saint Charles Parish, testified the change would save his office about $13,000 and reduce processing burden; the committee reported the bill favorable by unanimous consent.
Sen. Greg Miller presented Senate Bill 89 on March 10, saying most parishes already maintain homestead exemptions without annual mailed cards and that continuing the card requirement in a few parishes imposes unnecessary expense.
Taob Troxler, identified in testimony as the tax assessor for Saint Charles Parish, told the committee his office prepared a fiscal note estimating about $13,000 in mailing savings for his office alone if the parish no longer had to send annual exemption‑confirmation cards. Troxler said his office has reduced staff over the last 12 years and that eliminating the card would save processing time for both assessors and residents; he also said his early term found nearly 1,000 improper or fraudulent exemptions, which influenced the office’s prior retention of the mailing practice.
A senator asked whether the bill would make the change statewide; Miller and other senators said there is a related bill (SB340) that would extend the same relief to the remaining parishes. After brief questions from members, Senator Bass moved to report SB89 favorable; there were no objections and the measure was reported favorable by unanimous consent.
The committee's action advances SB89 to the next legislative stage. Committee discussion emphasized administrative cost savings and that the bill targets a small group of parishes still using the mailing requirement.
