VIDALIA, Louisiana – On Tuesday, the Vidalia City Council approved a lower tax rate than originally announced at its July meeting after learning that property assessments in Concordia Parish have increased.

At the July meeting, it was said taxes would remain the same and not increase, but to raise the same amount, the tax would have to be reduced because the ad valorem tax is based on the assessed value of property, which has increased this year.

“At the last meeting, there was some confusion about what tax rates to use because we are in a reassessment year and you have several options,” Jeanie Archer, Concordia Township Tax Assessor, explained to councillors on Tuesday. “What happened was that our township’s values ​​went up, which meant that your tax rates had to be lowered based on current values ​​so that you would collect the same amount as last year.”

To keep taxes at the same level without raising them, the board had to reduce the tax rate from 3.37 per thousand to 3.2 per thousand, which is still one of the lowest taxes in the state, Archer said.

“That’s the actual mileage you would get without continuing to write, which would mean you’re increasing the mileage,” she said. “They’re still one of the lowest, if not the lowest.”

Vidalia city councilors weren’t the only ones confused about tax rates. The Concordia Parish Police Jury also voted to set a different tax rate Monday to address a “discretion” in the taxes it collects, said Police Jury Secretary Ariella Carter.

The police jury levies several tax rates.

During its Monday meeting, the board approved $2.23 per mille for general maintenance, $8.25 per mille for the library fund, $9.8 per mille for sewer work, buildings and facilities, and $3.92 per mille for the Concordia Council on Aging, reducing the total for the entire township from $24.68 per mille to $24.2 per mille.

The previously stated rates were 2.27 per thousand for general maintenance, 8.41 per thousand for the library fund, 10 per thousand for sewage works, buildings and facilities, and four per thousand for the Concordia Council on Aging.

In other business, Vidalia City Councilors during Tuesday’s meeting approved a time-off request from Ferriday Mayor Alvin Garrison that would allow two articulated boom trucks and workers to work in Ferriday on one Saturday only to assist the city with cleanup efforts.

Vidalia Mayor Buz Craft said any work that couldn’t be done in one day would require further approval from the City Council. The rate charged to Ferriday for the use of the two trucks and workers is $1,500 to compensate the city for overtime accrued by employees.

“I think this is a good thing for us as neighbors,” Craft said.

The city councilors were in complete agreement on Tuesday.

“I think we should ask for the least amount possible to help our sister city,” added Councilman Triand McCoy.

Vidalia City Council also approved donating a mosquito sprayer to the Town of Ridgecrest that is not currently in use.

“If we’re going to give it to someone, we’d rather give it to a city close to us like Ridgecrest so Vidalia can benefit as well,” Craft said.

Also approved Tuesday was the lease of office space at the Vidalia Convention Center to the Delta Agriculture Research and Sustainability District for $200 per month.

The DARSD was created by state Rep. Travis Johnson III to help smaller communities in the agricultural region achieve economic growth. The offices would serve as the DARSD’s new headquarters, officials said.