The following is a press release from J. Stephen Williams, Lincoln Parish Sheriff; Billy Mac McBride, Lincoln Parish Assessor; and Doug Postel, Lincoln Parish Policy Jury Administrator.
On September 9, 2021, Governor John Bel Edwards signed an executive order formally delaying the upcoming fall elections in Louisiana, following severe damage from Hurricane Ida in southeast Louisiana, which would make holding the election difficult and could lead to challenges for displaced voters.
The election originally scheduled for October 9 included the renewal of the millage for Library Operations, along with several state-wide initiatives. Due to this executive order, the election will now be held on November 13. Since the Library Operations millage is a renewal item on the ballot, if it passes, it must be levied in 2021. Pass or Fail, the delay in the election will affect the timely mailing of tax notices.
Under Louisiana Revised Statute 47:1993(C), the tax roll must be approved by the Tax Commission before the rolls can be filed with the tax collector office. This step in the process usually happens in late October or early November. However, due to the delay in the election and the Tax Commission meeting schedule, the Lincoln Parish tax roll may not receive Tax Commission approval until December 1. If this is the case, the mailing of tax notices could be pushed back to the week of December 13th.
The due date for property taxes will remain December 31, as generally defined by LS 47:1993(G). We understand the hardship this may cause our tax payers; therefore, the Tax Collector will grant a grace period whereby interest will be deferred until January 28, 2022. Taxes not paid by this date will accrue interest for the entire month of January.
We apologize for the delay in the tax notices and assure you that we have looked into all options to avoid it. Unfortunately, the Governor’s delay in the election leaves us no alternative. We appreciate the opportunity to serve the citizens of Lincoln Parish, and are available to answer your questions.
