Term limits for Louisiana tax assessors move forward in Legislature – Louisiana Illuminator

A proposed constitutional modification to put time period limits on parish tax assessors narrowly superior Monday within the Louisiana Legislature.

Home Invoice 288, sponsored by Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, would restrict tax assessors to 12 consecutive years or three consecutive phrases in workplace, a proposal that may change the ability dynamic of a political workplace the place incumbents can simply spend many years. The invoice wouldn’t apply retroactively, so these at present in workplace might maintain energy for at the very least 12 extra years. 

Some assessors have held workplace for 9 consecutive four-year phrases, together with former Eddie Gatlin in Jackson Parish and Bobby Gravolet in Plaquemines Parish. Each retired in 2015. 

Regardless of stress from the Louisiana Assessors Affiliation, the Home Methods and Means Committee superior the laws in a 7-6 vote, sending it to the Home ground the place it should require a two-thirds supermajority to go. If the invoice manages to clear that hurdle, it should repeat these steps within the Senate earlier than it’s positioned on the poll for voter approval within the Nov. 8 statewide election. 

In her testimony to the committee members, Landry acknowledged her invoice has positioned a few of her legislative colleagues in a troublesome place, going through stress from incumbent tax assessors and lobbyists against time period limits. 

Nonetheless, she stated controversy over the laws stops there. Exterior of the political institution, the invoice is a non-controversial measure of equity and good authorities that Louisiana voters will overwhelmingly approve if lawmakers give them that likelihood, Landry stated.

The 12-year, three-term restrict matches the time period limits voters positioned on state lawmakers in 1995.  

Analysis signifies time period limits on political workplaces are “extraordinarily widespread” with voters throughout the nation and in Louisiana, notably with Republicans, she added.

“What I’m asking you to do is put this on the poll for voters,” Landry stated. “This isn’t your private opinion on time period limits however what your precise constituents suppose on this. It provides them the choice.”

Landry has the same proposal for time period limits on sheriffs. She stated each the sheriffs and assessors are “very offended” in regards to the payments.

She stated she agrees with time period limits and believes they encourage youthful candidates to run for workplace.

“Most of us wouldn’t be right here with out (time period limits),” Landry stated. 

The governor, Legislature and members of the Board of Secondary and Elementary Schooling (state college board) are the one state officers who’ve time period limits. Many native workplaces are time period restricted, however sheriffs, tax assessors and most judges and prosecutors aren’t. 

Brian Eddington with the Louisiana Assessors Affiliation argued that time period limits would trigger a lack of “institutional data” in assessors’ workplaces. There’s a “very slender particular set of information” required to carry out the responsibility of a tax assessor, he stated, and this information can be misplaced if assessors needed to depart workplace attributable to time period limits.

When Rep. Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, requested for particular examples of information that may be misplaced, Eddington stated “familiarity with the tax base” and “consistency and repeatability of outcomes.”

“You need your assessments to be constantly utilized yearly,” Eddington stated, including that assessors observe “very technical guidelines” that the Legislature and Louisiana Tax Fee create.     

Rep. Matthew Willard, D-New Orleans, stated the institutional data is misplaced no matter time period limits as a result of tax assessors, like different people, can not serve in perpetuity. In the event that they’re not voted out of workplace, they may in some unspecified time in the future both retire or die. So, if the priority is really over the lack of data, that downside isn’t solved just by opposing time period limits, Willard identified.