Assessor, 5th Municipal District

League of Women Voters^®
of New Orleans

Assessor, 5th Municipal District

Thomas L. Arnold

NAME: Tom Arnold, Incumbent
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PUBLICATION:
Address: 2407 Danbury Dr.
New Orleans, LA 70131
Phone: 504-394-3749
FAX: 504-368-7651
Email: tommya@bellsouth.net
Website: http://www.algiersassessor.com
PARTY AFFILIATION: Republican
PROFESSION: I have served as the Assessor for the 5th Municipal District of Orleans Parish for 22 years
PRESENT EMPLOYER/POSITION (if self-employed, what type of business): Orleans Parish Board of Assessors
HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION (include graduation date):
Graduate of Warren Easton High School, Class of 1961 Attended L.S.U.N.O. (now the University of New Orleans)
APPLICABLE TRAINING: Certified by the I.A.A.O.
CIVIC EXPERIENCE: Member and Founder of St. Andrew the Apostle Knights of Columbus Council #9107. Past member, St. Andrew the Apostle Finance Board, School Board, Parish Council and former Cub Master. Member Algiers Lions Club, Sunshine Club of Algiers, Algiers Kiwanis Club Morning Edition; Past member, Little Sister of the Poor Advisory Board.
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Elected Assessor of the 5th Municipal District (Algiers) of Orleans Parish in October of 1984. Took office January 2nd, 1985. I am the only Republican Assessor ever elected in Orleans Parish, and until recently, the only Republican Assessor in the State.
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS: Former elected member of the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee.
1. If you are elected to this office, will you work to consolidate the seven assessor offices into one office with sufficient resources and staff?
No. The neighborhood-based system works well in Algiers. And, I have been proven to assess fairly. The Louisiana Tax Commission has consistently approved my assessment ratios. I feel strongly that the current system is the most equitable way for taxpayers to have representation in the fair allocation of taxes. The new computer system, the online availability of data (opboa.org) and my open-door policy make the Algiers Assessor's office one of the few citizen-oriented services our local government offers.
2. If you are elected, will you pledge to be trained as a Certified Assessor Evaluator or Appraisal Supervisor to meet the standards set by the International Association of Assessing Officers?
I have been certified by the International Association of Assessing Officers since 1986 and I meet all their standards. In addition, every five years I have taken the required 60 hours of continuing education, and have passed the required re-certification examinations.
3. Will you agree to publish a list of exempt properties annually?
Yes. That list will be online before this year is over.
4. How will the staff training and the data entry necessary for the new computer system be funded?
We are self-funding. The funding formula was approved by the Louisiana Legislature in the last regular session, but because of Hurricane Katrina, funding, as it has for all agencies in Orleans Parish, has been delayed. We are proud of our new $2 Million Computer Assisted Mass Appraiser System (CAMA.) The official training for CAMA, which was scheduled to start last October, began March 6, 2006. We intend to have all systems live by July 1, 2006.

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