Abita lowers tax rate by a mill

The Abita Springs Board of Aldermen on Tuesday evening agreed to lower the town's taxes by one mill, saving the owner of a $200,000 house about $20 a year.

In other business, the aldermen introduced a proposal to create a 120-day moratorium on new building projects in the heart of town, hoping to revise zoning ordinances to allow more cultural-district friendly development.

The tax decrease stems from voters' approval Saturday of a measure reallocating 3 mills of tax revenue approved for bond debt, to public parks and lighting over the next 10 years.

It is the first time the town has a dedicated property tax proceeds to parks and lighting, Mayor Louis Fitzmorris said.

Two of the mills, or about $37,000 a year, will go toward acquiring, building, improving, maintaining, operating and supporting parks and playgrounds owned or operated by the town.

The other mill, or about $19,000 annually, will go toward electric lights on the town's streets and public places, according to town officials.

The town was using 9 mills to repay street improvement bonds, but only 4 mills are now needed, Fitzmorris said.

With 3 mills now dedicated to lighting and parks and recreation, and only 4 mills needed to pay off the town's three street improvement bonds, which expire in 2014, 2016 and 2020, the town was able to lower the town's taxes by a mill.

This is the town's second one-mill reduction for street improvement bonds in the past five years, the mayor said. He said the reduction is possible because the town has generated more revenue than expected over the past five years due to general growth and increased housing values.

"This tax decrease will help defray some of the recent increase in the assessed value of your properties," Fitzmorris told the audience at the monthly town hall meeting....