The Caddo Parish Tax Collector, which is the Caddo Parish Sheriff, is responsible for sending tax bills and collecting taxes based on the assessments and the millage rates. The annual parish tax bills are sent out in November and are due by December 31 of that year.

Each municipality within the parish is responsible for sending tax bills and collecting taxes based on the assessments and the millage rates for that municipality. The municipality sets these millage rates or tax rates.

The different governing bodies within the parish set millage rates for the parish. These governing bodies include the Caddo Parish School Board, Caddo Parish Commission, Caddo Parish Sheriff, and several others. Also there may be additional millages set for the individual Fire Districts, Water Districts, etc. that depend on where the property is located.

The major sources of revenues for the Caddo Parish Commission are taxes, intergovernmental revenues, and gaming.




Ad Valorem Taxes

Ad Valorem Taxes represent the major source of funding for Caddo Parish. This is consistent with Louisiana statutes providing that parish governments may, with voter authorization, levy special property tax millages of up to ten mills for any purpose legally within their scope of jurisdiction. All these levies are legally dedicated for a specific purpose as decided by the voters of Caddo Parish. This means that, by law, the Parish can only use the revenue derived from the millages for the specified purpose.

Taxes are levied in accordance with the following schedule:

Assessment date	January 1 (current year)
Levy date	Not later than June 1
Tax bills mailed	On or about November 25
Taxes due	December 31
Penalties and interest added	January 1 (subsequent year)
Lien date	January 1 (subsequent year)
Tax sale	On or about May 25 (subsequent year)

In 2010, ad valorem taxes are estimated to generate $49.9 million or 71% of the Parish’s total revenues. Ad valorem taxes are included in the General Fund, certain Special Revenue Funds and the Debt Service Fund. The Parish has experienced significant and consistent growth in ad valorem revenue since 2002. This growth is the result of new commercial construction in the South Shreveport area. Completed commercial and residential construction projects resulted in an 18% increase in property tax assessments since 2002. Ad valorem taxes are recorded as current revenue to the extent collected within 60 days after year-end.




Sales Taxes

Sales taxes are levied outside of the cities of Shreveport and Vivian. Revenue from this source is extremely influenced by the level of commercial construction and equipment acquisitions. Consumer retail sales take place primarily within the City of Shreveport. In addition, annexations by either Shreveport or Vivian have the effect of reducing the tax base for the Parish levies.

Sales taxes represent approximately 11% of the Parish’s total revenues for 2010. Sales taxes are included in the Solid Waste Disposal Fund and the Public Works Fund. Sales tax revenue has varied widely since 2001 with significant upswings and downswings which demonstrates the volatility of sales tax revenue and substantiates the Parish’s position to budget conservatively for sales taxes.

Sales tax revenue grew consistently from 2003 to 2005 as a result of increased levels of commercial and industrial construction primarily in the South Shreveport area. In 2006, sales tax revenues declined when commercial construction stabilized and the City of Shreveport approved several annexations. Various new construction projects resulted in an increase in sales taxes for 2007. The effect of the Haynesville Shale has resulted in significant sales tax collections for 2008 and 2009; more than 50% above the 2007 collections.



Intergovernmental Revenues

Intergovernmental Revenues represent approximately 7% of total revenues for 2010. Intergovernmental Revenues are received primarily from the State of Louisiana and include state revenue sharing, state severance taxes, state transportation funds, state shared royalties and state grants. The majority of the intergovernmental revenues are included in the Special Revenue Funds and the Capital Project Funds. Intergovernmental Revenues can vary widely from year to year given the nature of state grants received for the year. The devastation experienced from hurricanes Katrina and Rita have not had a severe financial impact on the revenues the Parish receives from the State of Louisiana. Intergovernmental revenues were at the highest level in 1993 when the Parish received a state capital outlay grant of $9 million dollars to build a new jail. Since that time, intergovernmental revenues have remained fairly consistent from 1998 to 2009.


Gaming Revenues

Gaming revenues represent approximately 4% of total revenue for 2010. Gaming revenues consist of a share of the proceeds from two riverboat casinos and video poker machines operated within the unincorporated areas of the Parish. Gaming revenues are included primarily in the Riverboat Fund with a small percentage, video poker, in the General Fund and the Economic Development Fund. Gaming revenues grew steadily since the first gaming revenues were received in 1994; however, beginning in 2004 the Parish experienced a significant decline in gaming revenue as a result of increased competition from other gaming outlets and a decrease in tourism. Gaming revenues have declined 18% since 2004 when they reached a high of $2.5 million. This source of revenue is highly vulnerable given that the amount of revenues depends primarily on total revenues earned by the casinos.


Oil and Gas

In 2009, the Parish received $11.7 million in oil and gas revenue from the leasing of Parish property for oil and gas mineral leases related to the Haynesville Shale which is the fourth largest natural gas deposit in the world. The Parish received the first significant revenue from the Haynesville Shale in 2008 when the Parish was paid $18 million to lease 600 acres. This revenue source has been a huge financial gain for the Parish. The Commission established the Oil and Gas Fund to set aside the oil and gas revenue until a worthy investment project is determined. The Parish has conservatively estimated $1,200,000 for its oil and gas revenue for 2010 because of the uncertainty of this revenue source and the expectation that leasing activity will decline.