Louisiana REALTORS ® Suggest a Better Plan Rather than Higher Property Taxes to Fund Schools

“Plan First, Tax Second,” was the rallying cry of REALTORS ^® in Louisiana’s Terrebonne Parish this spring, in response to a proposition by the school board to quadruple property taxes.  The local Bayou Board of REALTORS ^®, while fully supportive of education in the Parish, and mindful of the challenges faced by the school board, was concerned by the apparent lack of a well-prepared implementation plan for the expected revenue.  The local board and the Louisiana REALTORS ^®Association put together a campaign that included newspaper articles, direct mail pieces, phone calls and yard signs. A $10,000 Issues Mobilization Grant from NAR helped to pay for it, along with funds from the state association and local board. The proposed tax increase was soundly defeated.  Now the Bayou Board is working with the school board to develop progressive ideas for improving the Parish’s overall education system.