New Orleans Assessor Erroll Williams is urging the City Council to reject more than 40 property tax appeal recommendations worth nearly $11 million, warning that a consultant's hearing officer may have had a conflict of interest on dozens of cases. The dispute lands just days before council members are scheduled to vote on this year's appeal recommendations, a decision that will shape tax bills sent out in January.
Williams sent his objections to the council on Thursday, October 8, questioning whether Hammerman & Gainer, Inc., the firm the council has used to review tax appeals since 2012, had a conflict of interest tied to 26 recommended property assessment reductions, according to NOLA.com. He also argued that 15 additional properties should be rejected outright because they had already received reductions in the past and showed no physical changes that would justify another cut.
At the center of Williams' concern is an HGI hearing officer who also works for a tax firm that represents property owners in these same appeal hearings. The outlet reports the hearing officer did not take part in hearings involving that firm's own clients, but Williams said the overlapping employment still created the appearance of a conflict of interest. He did not name either the tax firm or the hearing officer in his letter.
A Jump in Recommended Reductions
The numbers driving Williams' objection are striking. HGI recommended a combined $17 million in assessment reductions this year, and Williams is disputing nearly $11 million of that total, per the same report. About two-thirds of the disputed properties are commercial, not residential.
Those recommended reductions represent 20% of the assessed value of properties seeking appeals this year, according to Williams' letter as cited by the outlet. That is a sharp jump from 3% last year and 7% the year before, a shift Williams wrote departed from prior years' board of review hearings and raised significant concerns.
Williams argued the reductions were unsupported by data and could cost the city millions in revenue. He said approving all of HGI's recommendations would mean City Hall and other local public agencies lose $2.2 million in property tax revenue. The assessor declined further comment on Friday, and HGI did not respond to a request for comment, the station's report notes.
Council Pushes Back, Calls for Scrutiny
District A Councilmember Aimee McCarron said Williams' letter contained concerning allegations and that the council should examine the data closely before acting, while maintaining transparency and integrity in the process. The council serves as the board of review for Williams' annual tax assessments, giving it final say over whether HGI's recommendations stand.
HGI's current arrangement with the council traces back to a contract signed in 2022, which has since been extended at least three times through July 2025 and allows for a maximum payment of $1.3 million over four years. The exact number of properties under appeal this year is unclear, though recent non-quadrennial-reassessment years have averaged about 800 properties under appeal.
Why the Timing Matters
The council is scheduled to vote on this year's recommendations on October 15, and that decision will determine the property tax bills New Orleans residents and businesses receive in January. Property assessments and appeals happen annually, giving owners a regular avenue to seek lower tax bills through the council, and owners who are unhappy with the council's decisions can still appeal further to the Louisiana Tax Commission, which under state law has final authority once a local board of review determination is challenged, according to the Louisiana State Legislature.
The appeal fight comes as Mayor Helena Moreno and the City Council weigh property tax increases to help close a $77 million deficit in next year's city budget. Those proposed increases could raise the annual tax bill on a $300,000 home with a homestead exemption by $100 to $200, adding extra weight to a council vote that already carries millions of dollars in competing stakes for homeowners and commercial property owners alike.
