Orleans Tax Assessor Erroll Williams took part in a Q&A session with the New Orleans city council on property assessments.
Williams said he disagrees with a Bureau of Governmental Research reports that said he assigns property values by chasing sales numbers.
"I don't chase sales," Williams told the council "I analyze all the sales, but if there's a change in character, I will change the value on the property."
Property assessments are up an average 23 percent in this year's assessments.
The assessor's office is currently in the midst of the appeals process and Williams said around 70 percent of homeowners who dispute their assessment end up with a lowered number. Those who aren't satisfied can appeal to the city's board of review, which is the city council. Williams says there are even possible remedies for homeowners if all that is unsatisfactory for them.
"You still have the right to take it to court," said Williams. "The only thing I remind people that when you take it to court, you've got to pay that lawyer, and that the taxes that are in dispute should be greater then what you've got to pay that lawyer."
Williams told the council his office will work with people on scheduling appeals hearings, and will even do them via video conference or over the phone:
"You call and schedule an appointment and one of my appraisers will sit down, through Zoom or do a telephone call and respond to you and take the information and try and make sure we didn't screw up on the valuation," he explained.
The New Orleans city council is rolling back millages as a result, and is urging other entities with taxing authority in the city to do the same.