DENHAM SPRINGS, La. — The Denham Springs City Council voted 4-1 on Monday to table a decision on adopting the city’s property assessment millage rate, citing the need for further analysis of how a proposed reduction would affect the municipal budget.
The proposal would lower the current rate from 3.5 mills to 2.89 mills—a move that Councilman Robert Poole argued would cost the city approximately $20,000 in revenue. Poole cast the lone vote against tabling the issue.
“A $20,000 reduction in a $27 million budget is negligible,” Poole said. “Spread out over all property owners, the savings might not even buy a meal or an ice cream sundae. But it would be symbolic. I like the optics. What other public body has ever lowered tax assessments?”
The council did not set a date for reconsidering the millage rate.
In other business, the council was informed that liability insurance premiums for the police department will increase by 59 percent due to approximately $350,000 in unresolved claims still on the books. Although the department has reported no claims in the past year, the city’s insurer evaluates claim history over a two-year period.
Renewals for other departments were also approved, though none outside of law enforcement saw significant increases.
The council also approved a proposal to subscribe to new floodplain management software that includes tools for community rating and code enforcement. The city successfully negotiated a 20 percent discount on the package, lowering the annual cost from $15,000 to $12,000.
