Comments for Downtown Development at http://www.theind.com , comment 1 to 19 out of 19 comments http://www.theind.com Sun, 19 May 2013 05:18:19 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-26054 I STILL DON'T KNOW!!! ;) - Krista Fontenot Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:03:47 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-26049 by the way some of that property is actually farm and the city moved toward it, so it's not all a plot. by the way the saloom family donated property to the city to help with the camilla rd extension. they've donated other property too, included the land where the overflow goes for the city. yes, all taxes are not equitable everywhere. But you can hardly fault a landowner when the property develops around them. what about that farm on johnson st., where Michaels used to be? It's a farm and was before all the development, so i'm not sure how to fairly fix that issue. if i own a square mile outside of the city limits and the next landowner over subdivides his property into a subdivision, and i'm still farming and the city limit moves and the value of the lots go up, do i get penalized for that? I JUST DON'T KNOW!!! - Krista Fontenot Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:30:25 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-26048 Yes, this joie de vivre has tought me more than i ever wanted to know about our civic leaders and business people and how truly SCUMMY some of them are. some of our so-called leaders, lawyers and university professors are using our city as their little play ground and piggy bank. It's repugnant and i can't believe they have no shame. :) - Krista Fontenot Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:24:21 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-26042 It does not take an exact science or a formula to figure out that you are a puppet with both hands out, Conrad Comeaux just do your Fng job and quit DANGLING ON THEIR STRINGS ! - chano leal Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:55:46 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-26041 Krista, now do you get it why sane people lose it and go postal over the unfairness of the elites workings. Don't evah accept their offer to ride in a parade in Dallas ! - chano leal Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:50:01 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-26040 Krista, methinks the Shaloooz and the Boudinizes are awaiting property taxes to rise and they can do as their ancestors before them and buy up the agri property , continue to pay agri tax rates until another Dumbass bought and stole tax assessor comes along and have another dog and pony show ref: A LA Conrad Comeaux, this guy comes up with the most assinine, unimaginable, puppetized, answers as to why the Salooms, Chappius, Youngs, Stewarts, pay the lowest tax rates and how he actually stands up and allows their pseudo-agri property to be taxed at the rate they are being taxed. The independent Weekly takes a 5 minute search and digs up this farce of a pseudo-agri property taxation benefiting the slumlords Shaloomzes, Chappiuzes, Boudinis, Hamidizes, and last but by no means the leastezes of the bunch the zooschlagizes - chano leal Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:45:58 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-26036 Chano, you funny! I'm in the tax assessor's office all the time in other parishes. Alot of them are pathetic. This courthouses records are poor too. Property is assessed at different rates. Ag, swamp, timberland, rural parcel, city lots. Of course there is homestead exemption. Be sure to apply for that, especially if your escrow doesn't cover tax bills. We now pay parish and city tax, where we didn't when we bought this house 8 years ago. What really gets me is i'm paying for the "scr@#*&^" I'm getting from JDV. And it was actually admitted at one of the many dog and pony shows where they were trying to sell it to us, that property value would go up and then when the poorer people in the neighborhood could not longer afford their taxes and tax sales went up, value would go back down. how do you like that? What's gonna happen if LFPTA and Gachassin polute every area they can with projects. how many people will be in the same situation? - Krista Fontenot Tue, 28 Feb 2012 22:34:58 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-26033 Krista understand this, Joie de Vivre, will actually force Conrad, to re-assess property value in the down town area now all the shaloom, Baboonze, Chappize property will have to be assessed at the new Joie de Vivre "Slapem, Tackem and Rackem, Jolie Lofts, Ha Ha, How sad it is..... - chano leal Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:22:52 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-26032 Conrad does as Conrad is told to do, now how plain must it be said than what you see here. Hell, Conrad is almost at retirement at his current position and he still can't get it, I guess he could be called a dumb ass, but then again he follows orders fairly well. So can't call him a dumbass. He says this mess from the last Inbred Tax assessor. Ga, what you want me do do ? No one is selling property downtown, whatcha want me to do ???? New tax assessor in Lafayette Parish year 2018,"Where is uncle Conrad when I need him ? Help Saloom ! Baboon, Ameedze, Chappize, where are you ? Help me out heah, what I goin to say to the peons ? - chano leal Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:13:13 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-26012 One thing I forgot to mention. Evidently Conrad Comeaux is not qualified to be Tax Assessor Because he does not or does not want to know the real value of properties. Does he need any help from 5th graders at Alice Boucher Elementry School? - Michael A. Moss Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:51:15 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-26010 I just want tax equity. I don't want more unfair taxes so the gov't good ole boys can waste, and waste, and waste, and waste, and waste, and waste! Everyone is starting to realize that the loopholes are only for the CRONIES! - Michael A. Moss Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:31:50 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-26005 what happens when Joie de vivre goes up and the property value goes down. will they lessen my property taxes? will downtown's taxes be re addressed? - Krista Fontenot Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:00:31 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-26001 What gives Conrad Comeaux to call people rats who are concerned about the unfairness of the Lafayette property tax situation? His problem is that he has lost touch with reality. And this is due from his sucking on the hind tit of gov't most of his adult life. Maybe if he had a real job he would realize why people are pissed off!! But, he is one of the many Republicans in Lafayette who love taxes, tax increases & toll roads!! P.S. I am registered as NO PARTY!! Man up Conrad!! - Michael A. Moss Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:33:52 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-25999 Jaon, i think because we have homestead exemption. We have to tax property and income to make up for those that don't pay. Lafayette is a progressive town? Where? We have a bike lane on johnston street(where hardley anyone rides a bike), we do have 2 city buses that run on natural gas instead of a whole fleet, not many companies that use flex times to allievate traffic congestion, no toll roads to help pay for new roads, we have the largest city in the parish that has minority representation in its council, etc. Love living here as its my hometown, but i wouldn't call it progressive at all. - Joe LeBlanc Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:26:03 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-25996 Just one anecdote to share. I just returned from a conference in Santa Cruz, California. Sales tax rates there and in San Francisco were right around 8% as are ours in Lafayette. It is surprising to me that Baton Rouge, rates are in excess of 9% and communities in Lafayette Parish have higher rates and are considering increasing those rates. Regressive sales tax rates as a lone source of public funding aren't a path to prosperity all by themselves. What is with our aversion to taxing property and income? Aren't we a "progressive" community? What does that label mean to us anyway? - Jason Faulk Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:18:27 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-25985 Can't figure this out myself Richard. Got online last night. found a house, assessed for $190k sitting on an acre of land. i think he could easily get $600k for it. Paying less than half of what i pay for in taxes. Matter of a fact, he pays the same amount of taxes as the empty lot next door to him. 20 acres of property at the corner of Kaliste Saloom and Pinhook. They pay chump change for it. the list goes on and on. - Joe LeBlanc Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:10:19 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-25946 What the author is talking about in this article is property taxes based on the real estate; land and building. He does not mention that in addition to taxes on land & building, taxes are also payed on the business inside of said building. Sometimes the property owner and business owner are the same entity but if not, then the lessee/owner is assessed with the business movables attributable to said business. So there are more to taxes being collected on commercial properties than what the land and building represent....much more! - Elsie Simon Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:39:30 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-25944 Have they looked to see if Google Earth has Lafayette street views which they could use to see what type of business is operating at a location ? No contractors required. Why am I paying almost three times what Agave is paying in property taxes ? The assessor doesn't seem to have any difficulty at all in determining that my taxes need to go up, but they can't get a handle on popular businesses that have been in place for years, downtown, run or owned by well-connected locals ? Conrad, this is your 13th year. When do these problems belong to you, rather than those who came before you ? Come on man, send someone in a car to Jefferson street and River Ranch and get it done. - richard thornton Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:41:06 +0100 http://www.theind.com/cover-story/9942-downtown-development#comment-25943 I am pleased to see the Independent look into this area of property tax inequity. Many have know for years about downtown buildings being assessed at a fraction of their value. This ball lands at Conrad Comeaux's feet. We have a statutory problem with urban property being assessed as farm land creating a tax windfall for a small number of people. Both are critical to creating an across the board equitable property tax system for Louisiana. As one might expect from the representative of the La Association of Business and Industry, Mr. Juneau is wrong on homeowners tax rates. The time has long passed in cities like Lafayette where the homestead exemption is the benefit it used to be. Homeowners tax bills as we know and Conrad Comeaux knows have been increased steadily in recent years. We are now on par with California and Florida as a percentage of total value of the home. - John Bernhardt Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:34:48 +0100