Rapides Parish Police Jury

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

ROLL CALL

1. Motion to sit as a Board of Review for hearing complaints on property assessments, as advertised.
2. Recognize Mr. Rick Ducote, Rapides Parish Tax Assessor.
3. Motion to open a public hearing to receive the protests for those requests received and timely filed:

** Aaron’s, Inc., 205 MacArthur Drive, Alexandria, represented by Cushman & Wakefield, Assessment No. 2010001600

Fair Market Value Land Improvement Pers. Prop. Assessor determined: 157,169 Total 157,169

Taxpayer’s opinion: 4,304 Total 4,304 (Received September 9, 2016)

** Aaron’s, Inc., 1804 MacArthur Drive, Alexandria, represented by Cushman & Wakefield, Assessment No. 2010001601

Fair Market Value Land Improvement Pers. Prop. Assessor determined: 64,247 Total 64,247

Taxpayer’s opinion: 8,780 Total 8,780 (Received September 9, 2016)

(Note: A protest was received from Eddie’s BBQ Restaurant, which was not filed in a timely manner. Received September 14, 2016)

4. Motion to close the public hearing.

(UNANIMOUS VOTE TO ADD ITEM AFTER CALL AGENDA POSTED)

ADJOURNMENT

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NOTICE OF SPECIAL POLICE JURY MEETING

1. Public Hearing for Rapides Parish Police Jury, sitting as the Board of Review, to receive any protests under a Request for Review of property tax assessments timely filed.
2. Any other business that may properly come before the Police Jury.

BY ORDER OF THE PRESIDENT

Laurel Smith, Secretary

There were present: Craig Smith, President and Police Jurors; Joe Bishop, Theodore Fountaine, Richard Vanderlick, Oliver “Ollie” Overton, Jr. and Richard Billings.

Member absent: Scott Perry, Jr., Davron “Bubba” Moreau and Sean McGlothlin

Also present were Mr. Bruce Kelly, Treasurer; Donna Andries, Sales & Use Tax Director, Mr. Thomas O. Wells, Legal Counsel and Ms. Laurel Smith, Secretary.

The invocation was given by Mr. Ollie Overton.

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mr. Joe Bishop.

The Police Jury of the Parish of Rapides, State of Louisiana, was duly convened as the governing authority of said Parish by Hon. Craig Smith, President who welcomed all present and then stated that the Police Jury was ready for the transaction of business.

The President asked if there was any public comment on any agenda item, to which there was no response.

On motion by Mr. Richard Billings, seconded by Mr. Joe Bishop, to sit as a Board of Review for hearing complaints on property assessments, as advertised. On vote the motion carried.

Mr. Rick Ducote, Rapides Parish Tax Assessor, presented the 2016 Assessments for Rapides Parish as certified to the Police Jury on October 6, 2016.

Total Assessed value of all real and personal property $827,921,732 Assessed value of all homestead exempt property $183,233,431 Assessed value of all taxable real and personal property $644,688,301 Public Service assessed value $151,258,550 Total assessed value, including homestead exemption $979,180,282 Total Taxpayer assessed value $795,946,851

It was noted that a protest was received from Eddie’s BBQ Restaurant, which was not filed in a timely manner.

Mr. Ducote stated there was a protest filed by Aaron’s Inc. Aaron’s stated their argument was that part of the statute says those were sales, the rental purchase agreements and because they are sales they are exempt from property taxes. He further stated he felt they were neither sales nor exempt. He asked the Juror’s uphold his assessments, this is being done statewide on all rent-to-owns and will be done in the future.

Discussion ensued.

On motion by Mr. Joe Bishop, seconded by Mr. Ollie Overton, to open a public hearing to receive the protests for those requests received and timely filed. On vote the motion carried.

** Aaron’s, Inc., 205 MacArthur Drive, Alexandria, represented by Cushman & Wakefield, Assessment No. 2010001600

Fair Market Value Land Improvement Pers. Prop. Assessor determined: 157,169 Total 157,169

Taxpayer’s opinion: 4,304 Total 4,304 (Received September 9, 2016)

** Aaron’s, Inc., 1804 MacArthur Drive, Alexandria, represented by Cushman & Wakefield, Assessment No. 2010001601

Fair Market Value Land Improvement Pers. Prop. Assessor determined: 64,247 Total 64,247

Taxpayer’s opinion: 8,780 Total 8,780 (Received September 9, 2016)

On motion by Mr. Richard Vanderlick, seconded by Mr. Richard Billlings, to uphold the assessment by the Rapides Parish Tax Assessor on the following properties and they be referred to the Louisiana Tax Commission:

& Wakefield, Assessment No. 2010001600

Aaron’s, Inc., 1804 MacArthur Drive, Alexandria, represented by Cushman & Wakefield, Assessment No. 2010001601 On vote the motion carried.

On motion by Mr. Joe Bishop, seconded by Mr. Ollie Overton, to close the public hearing. On vote the motion carried.

On motion by Mr. Richard Billings, seconded by Mr. Joe Bishop, that there being no further business, the meeting be declared adjourned. On vote the motion carried at 10:09 a.m.