Homeowners in East Baton Rouge can expect to soon start paying slightly higher property taxes as nearly 10 agencies — including fire districts, the mosquito abatement department, and parks and recreation — are planning to collect more tax money after recent reassessments.

When voters approve property taxes at the polls, the amount of money they later pay depends on the property values of their homes. As property values are reassessed, typically growing every four years, property taxes "roll back" automatically to adjust for the increased valuations. But public agencies can decide to "roll forward," setting the millage allowed by voters and collecting the additional revenue provided by the increased property values.

This year, most agencies in Baton Rouge are looking to "roll forward" their taxes.

For many agencies, rolling forward brings in millions of extra dollars a year while generally costing taxpayers only a few extra dollars per property tax.

Those who live within city limits and have $200,000 homes with homestead exemptions will now pay $2.25 extra for fire salaries and benefits, an additional $1.30 for emergency medical services and not even a full dollar more for mosquito abatement if taxes are rolled forward.

At least ten tax votes could go on the East Baton Rouge Parish December ballot Ten East Baton Rouge Parish taxes — including two new millage proposals — inched closer to a…

The BREC Board of Commissioners joined many others in rolling forward property taxes when the board voted last week to keep its 14.463-mill tax rather than letting it shrink. It will cost taxpayers who own $200,000 homes and have a homestead exemption close to $6 more annually.

BREC's finance department said the agency will gain $1.96 million from rolling forward its tax.

"It takes continued investment to keep these great amenities for all of our citizens to enjoy," said Jim McIlwain, the president of Friends of the Baton Rouge Zoo, when he asked the BREC commission to roll forward its tax.

The Metro Council also recently approved rolling forward 11 taxes for seven agencies that are already in place.

The council also set the rates for nine other taxes that are either being rolled back or that voters approved in 2015.

City-parish Assessor Brian Wilson has finished his survey of parish property, and property owners should receive letters sometime over the summer that break down how the government has assessed their homes, land and commercial properties. Wilson said properties in the city-parish have increased in value by $135 million since the last assessment in 2012.

The agencies that Metro Council allowed to roll forward are: EMS, Baton Rouge Municipal Fire salaries and benefits, Alsen Fire Protection District, Brownsfield Fire Protection District, Pride Fire Protection District, Chaneyville Fire Protection District and East Baton Rouge Mosquito Abatement and Rodent Control.

Other tax rates that the Metro Council either rolled back or approved setting include the parish operating tax, the city operating tax, the city's three platoon police tax, the consolidated road lighting district tax, the Downtown Development District tax, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library tax, and other taxes for the Alsen Fire Protection District, the East Baton Rouge Parish Fire Protection District 1 and the Brownsfield Fire Protection District.

Those who live in the parish will pay $41.50 in parish operating taxes and those who live in the city will pay $75.38 in city operating taxes. The three platoon police tax will cost $10.88, the consolidated road lighting district tax will cost $25. Taxes for those living downtown will cost $121.38, and taxes for the expansive library system will cost $138.75.

One resident, Phillip Lillard, spoke against rolling forward the taxes, as well as proposals from Mayor-President Kip Holden's administration for new taxes for roads, mental health and hotels that could end up on December ballots.

"We're adding a state sales tax already in Louisiana, which is going to hurt a lot of people," Lillard said. "And I believe new tax assessments take place this year, which could add the taxes, property taxes, along with the roll forwards of the taxes .... For example, all that together is already probably going to increase property taxes."

More rolling forward of property taxes could be on the way. The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office has a public hearing on that agency's property tax set for 1 p.m.Aug. 9 at the headquarters building, 8900 Jimmy Wedell Drive. The Sheriff's Office expects to collect around $2 million more from rolling forward taxes, which sheriff's officials have said would go toward stabilizing the general fund.