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Board adopts official tabulation of property-tax renewal and presses for resolution of protested taxes
Summary
Caldwell Parish School Board accepted the official tabulation showing a property tax renewal carried with 66.6% voter support and spent substantial time discussing multi-year protests that have left roughly $2–3 million tied up with the sheriff’s office. Members urged legal follow-up to recover revenue for schools and other local governments.
Caldwell Parish School Board on Monday accepted the official tabulation showing a property tax renewal passed by 66.6% in the public vote and moved to formally record that result.
Board members devoted a significant portion of the meeting to a separate but related funding problem: contested property-tax payments being held in protest. A board member said the most recent protest for calendar year 2024 totals about $750,000 above an earlier $2.0 million dispute and estimated that, with interest, the district’s share could total roughly $2.7 million to $3.0 million. The board noted that other local entities, including the sheriff’s department, are also due portions of any recovered funds.
Speakers described the protest as a multi-year court matter that prevents the district from accessing funds remitted to the sheriff’s office. One board member asked staff to follow up immediately with the sheriff and the board’s attorney and recommended sending joint letters from the parish’s affected entities to press for resolution.
The board’s finance presenter reviewed the district balance sheet, reporting about $8.1 million in cash and $3.4 million in certificates of deposit; $2.0 million of the CD amount was identified as protested taxes currently unavailable for use. The same presentation noted a general fund operating loss of about $289,000 for the fiscal year, a figure that had been partially offset in that year by roughly $400,000 in timber receipts.
Board members framed the protested-tax dispute as a practical impediment to priorities such as staff raises and program supports. “Give us what we owe and we’re done with it,” one board member said, urging coordinated action to recover the funds for schools and law enforcement.
The board voted to accept the official tabulation of the property-tax renewal during the meeting; no roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript. The board also asked the district attorney and finance staff to prepare a written status update and recommended coordinated outreach to the sheriff’s office to determine next legal steps.
What’s next: staff will seek a formal legal status letter on the protested accounts and report back to the board; recovering those funds remains contingent on court outcomes.
