It appears that the right to vote does not matter to a majority of the Jefferson Parish School Board. 
 
Expect a higher tax bill in your mail box in a few months, and know that you-the Jefferson Parish voter-never had a chance to have your say.
 
A majority of the Jefferson Parish School Board voted on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 to roll forward its property tax millages, generating an estimated $11 million in extra revenue for the school system.   It raised this stealth property tax increase without the nicety of a public election.
 
Only Ellen Kovach, Martin Marino and Libby Moran voted against his move, arguing that putting a higher burden on taxpayers at a time of skyrocketing living costs and economic hardships, was a bad idea. 
 
Metairie Resident Chris Russo was just one of many who told the board that this measure would trigger a 200 percent increase in his property taxes, since his home was valued significantly higher during this year's reassessment.
 
"People that live on fixed incomes cannot afford this," he said.
 
At least they should have the right to vote on a tax-and deserve an explanation on how the money will be spent. 
 
This type of bait-and-switch tax increase has become commonplace across Louisiana as the homestead exemption weakens in economic value.  State law requires governmental bodies to "roll back" millage rates when property assessments increase the amount of money collected by government in local property taxes.  
 
As more and more houses are valued above the $75,000 homestead exemption, the pool of potential property taxpayers increases.  
 
State law requires an automatic millage roll back equal to previously collected dollar amount of taxes (adjusted for the rate of inflation).  However, the same governmental body, whether it be the Sheriff's office, Parish Council, or School Board can then roll the millage rate forward-back to its original sum-if it so chooses by a supermajority.
 
Hence, most homeowners and small businesspeople end up paying more in property taxes because their property values, the amount on which they can be assessed, have also increased.
 
Normally, state law requires that any proposed tax increases go before the voters in the next scheduled election, yet this "roll forward" loophole has allowed many local governmental bodies to avoid the intent of that constitutional provision-thereby increasing taxes without public approval and spending the money however the politicians choose.
 
In fact, the majority of the Jefferson School Board, Judy Colgan, Wilma Irvin, Gene Katsanis, Etta Licciardi, Ray St. Pierre and Mark Morgan-supporters of the stealth tax increase-refused to specify at their public meeting on Wednesday where exactly extra $11 million in taxes would go.  
 
Vaguely, CFO Raylyn Stevens did announce an intention to use $5.7 million of the $11 million in additional property tax revenues to offset the decline in state per-pupil funding, resulting from the district's loss of 7,000 students after Hurricane Katrina, but presented no plan to restructure funding for a school system that lost almost a tenth of its students-better marshalling limited resources. 
 
Katsanis wanted the remainder available for negotiations with union personnel.  Neither official could answer specifically in what areas the extra tax dollars would be spent, though. 
 
Other government bodies, when taking such a step, at least dedicated the funds for teacher or police pay increases, specific proposals that enjoyed wide public approval.   The Jeff School Board simply said prices were going up, and they needed to keep track, without further explanation.
 
Jefferson voters have supported taxes for higher teacher pay in the past, and might be persuaded to do so again-if they were given the chance to vote on the matter.    Many have called for a change in state law that would require any attempts to roll forward millages to be approved by a public vote in the next election.  We could not agree more.
 
State Rep. Jeff Arnold attempted to pass such legislation earlier this year, but opposition from local governments blocked his bill.  Perhaps outrage over a stealth tax increase by the Jeff School System, already one of the largest local budgets in the state, will generate enough public anger so that Arnold's reform can be approved in the next session.