Berwick council moves to fix tax rate

BERWICK — The Town Council on Tuesday made a move toward bringing a property tax rate in line with the results of a 2020 election, and offered Beacon Shines On recognition to two people.

One represented Berwick in the world of sports, the other in the world of business.

The property tax is dedicated to recreation, roads, public works and capital improvements.

Louisiana requires property tax rates to be adjusted after each reassessment of property values so the total amount of money raised by each tax is unaffected.

Property is reassessed every four years. The last reassessment here was in 2020.

Rates are lowered when a jurisdiction’s assessed valuation goes up, unless the governing board votes to maintain the old rate. When assessed valuation
drops, the rate goes up to keep the tax revenue-neutral.

Berwick’s assessed valuation fell in the 2020 reassessment, resulting in a rate of 6.38 mills for the property tax considered Tuesday. That rate had been set in a previous ordinance.

But in 2020, voters reauthorized the tax for 6.0 mills beginning this year. An amended ordinance introduced Tuesday resets the rate at 6.0 mills. If the bill follows the normal course, it will come up for a public hearing and a passage vote at the council's July 12 meeting.

A mill is 1/10th cent of tax applied to each dollar of assess valuation. Residential property is assessed on 10% of its market value as determined by the parish assessor. Louisiana’s homestead exemption does not apply to taxes levied by municipalities.

Also Tuesday, the council gave Beacon Shines On recognition to Berwick High student Brett Bearb and businessman Jonathon Scully.
Bearb won this year’s Class 3A javelin championship with a throw of 167 feet.

Berwick coach Paul Gilder noted that Bearb didn’t compete in the javelin until his sophomore year. Last year, Bearb won district with a throw that would have been good for a win at the state championships, where he eventually finished fourth.

This year, “he stood there in his Berwick uniform on top of the podium.”

Council member Colleen Askew praised Scully of the Pelican Companies for his help with events such as the Berwick Lighthouse Festival and Live After 5.

“You hustled,” Askew told Scully. “You made the connections. ... You’ve proven yourself to be an asset to the whole community.”

Scully also operates Lake End Rentals at Morgan City’s Lake End Park.

Also Tuesday, the council voted to keep the Morgan City Review as its official journal.