“Serving the people of Webster Parish has been my life and career for the past forty years,” Denise G. Edwards said.
Ms. Edwards is seeking re-election for her second term as Webster Parish Assessor.
Devotion to the people of Webster Parish and dedication to the work she has loved for 40 years since initial employment while still in high school are the top reasons Ms. Edwards is continuing her life-long career with the Webster Parish Assessor’s office.
“I believe we have made the Assessor’s office more transparent and proficient in the last 4 years than it has been in a long time and I am happy with the strides we’ve made and the excellent service we provide” said Ms. Edwards. “With your support, I would like to continue my loyal and dedicated service to all the people of Webster Parish and with the help of the Webster Parish Assessor’s Office staff continue to provide our Parish with courteous, efficient, and knowledgeable service.” she concluded.
“My number one priority is to provide our 24 taxing districts, which includes Police Jury, School Board, Law Enforcement, Municipalities, Library, North Webster Industrial District and Fire Protection Districts with assistance and support to ensure they comply with the many complex tax laws and regulations in order to set their millage rates. The approval of their millage documents and the balancing and filing of the taxroll is necessary to properly fund the services of our schools, police departments, police jury, and others public entities that provide for our Webster Parish citizens to give us all a safe, wholesome, peaceful and enjoyable community in which to live, work and raise our families” Ms. Edwards concluded.
My other goals have been and will continue to be to operate the Assessor’s Office with maximum efficiency and effectiveness. During my first three years as Webster Parish Assessor, “I have reduced the millage rate of the Assessment District, saving taxpayers over $1.5 million dollars while continuing to improve the services provided by my office. Also after taking over as Assessor we instrumented a successful awareness campaign to inform eligible citizens of the 65 freeze, provided an updated user friendly website where citizens can file for homestead exemptions, estimate taxes and now freely access our parish maps. Moreover, now all aerial images are updated every two years at no cost to Webster Parish taxpayers due to a partnership we have established with North Louisiana Council of Governments. We also added a program that audits Homestead Exemption and better helps us find ineligible homesteads and notify those that can apply. I have also begun the digitizing of all paper records to make them easily accessible as well as issuing an annual report that allows us to keep citizens updated and informed on the Assessor’s Office and the assessment process.
Ms. Edwards encourages homeowners to save tax dollars by ensuring their Homestead Exemption is correct and up-to-date by using the new and easily accessible Webster Parish Assessor’s Website https://websterassessor.org.
Ms. Edwards is a Certified Assessor and a member of International Association of Assessing Officers which requires detailed knowledge of the Louisiana Tax Commission guidelines and the proposed legislative changes that affect homestead exemption eligibility and assessment procedures.
In addition to compiling, producing and filing tax rolls with the Louisiana Tax Commission, Ms. Edwards is responsible for the Assessor’s Office complex computer systems and supervising the Assessor’s Office staff of nine – seven in Minden and two in Springhill – while ensuring all compliance with the Assessor’s Office policies and procedures.
Edwards said she will continue to strive to ensure every parish taxpayer always has a good experience at her office.
“I will continue to operate the Assessor’s Office efficiently and be a good steward of the taxpayer’s dollar,” she said.
Denise is the daughter of Barbara Reagan and the late George Gossett. She is the widow of the late Jody Edwards and mother of four adult children: daughter Charly Dew and husband Levi; daughter Emily Kennington and husband Landon; daughter Cady Pruitt and son Cherokee Edwards and four precious grandchildren: Amzie, Aria, Paxton and Shep.
