The St. Tammany Parish Council retained the same millage rates as it levied last year, opting to not roll up.

However, that was not enough to appease residents who showed up Thursday night complaining of out-of-control property taxes in St. Tammany Parish, with no recourse for appeals.

Council members and members of the parish administration promised to continue lobbying the state legislature to fix what they agree is a faulty process. Council President Jerry Binder said last year the council, acting as the board of review, heard literally thousands of appeals. He said it was very upsetting to learn that after they had spent the time and effort to hear those cases and to meet with those property owners, St. Tammany Parish Assessor Patricia Schwartz-Core appealed many of those decisions. He said it was further upsetting to learn that once those cases got to the state Tax Commission, “St. Tammany residents were not given the time of day,” and Schwartz-Core’s original assessments were used.

Neil Harris, legal counsel for the council, said he has great concern over the legality of the process.

“I think once it comes here (before the board of review) only the taxpayer or the taxing body can appeal to the tax commission not the assessor because she does not have an interest in the case,” he said.

“The Tax Commission has got to act in an impartial manner,” Binder said. “I don’t think it’s an impartial body. We are not being taken seriously and that is something that we have to go to the governor with.”

Mike Sevante, council administrator, explained that 2008 was a reassessment year and the parish millage rates were adjusted last year based on figures provided by the assessor’s office so that parish government would generate the same amount as in previous years.

This resulted in an approximate 15 percent decrease in millage rates but because on inconsistent property assessments, this did not correlate into decreased property tax bills for many residents.

“It starts with what your assessment is,” Binder told residents. “If your assessment is too high rolling back the millage is going to give you back maybe a nickel.”

“We have no say in what your assessment is,” he said. “We can keep millages rolled back as much as possible. That is what we can do.”

Many residents said they have already been notified by the assessor’s office that their property assessments will go up again this year, and many fear their increases are in retaliation for appealing their assessments last year.

Chris Wells and David Devun said increasing property taxes are making it too costly for them to live in St. Tammany Parish.

“I’m not the biggest property owner,” Devun said, “but I can’t afford to live here.”

Wells said it’s a case of the assessor’s office still using inflated property values from after Hurricane Katrina.

“There is no way the prices we paid after Katrina are still on the market today,” he said, adding that he is “going to take (his) money and run.”

Parish President Kevin Davis found it coincidental that everyone who came before the council Thursday night and said they had received a letter notifying their taxes would by increasing this year by at least 15 percent had also appealed their assessments last year.

“We need to look into if there is a correlation between those who appealed and those who received letters,” he told the council.

Councilman Gene Bellisario requested that everyone who received an increase letter contact him or their council member, and Councilman Reid Falconer urged every resident to check their assessments and if they disagree with the number to file an appeal before the Sept. 24 deadline.