Kenner property tax is calculated by multiplying your home’s assessed value by the combined local millage rate, and the bill is due by December 31 each year. The Jefferson Parish Assessor sets the value, Louisiana’s Constitution sets the assessment ratio, and the City of Kenner collects payment. Most owner-occupants qualify for a homestead exemption that removes the first $7,500 of assessed value from the taxable amount.
How Your Bill Is Calculated
The Jefferson Parish Assessor’s Office determines the fair market value of every taxable property inside Kenner’s city limits. That number is then converted to an assessed value using percentages fixed by the Louisiana Constitution: 10% for residential property and land, 15% for commercial and other non-residential property.1Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Constitution Article VII Section 18 – Ad Valorem Taxes A home with a $200,000 market value therefore carries a $20,000 assessed value.
The city applies millage rates to that assessed value. One mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value, so a combined rate of 100 mills on $20,000 of assessed value produces a $2,000 annual tax bill. Kenner’s total rate is not a single flat figure. It stacks levies from the city, Jefferson Parish, the school board, and various special districts, so the exact rate depends on where in the city your property sits.
Values are updated to reflect the market. When your market value rises, your assessed value and your bill rise with it, even when the millage rate holds steady. You’ll receive a notice of valuation before the final bill goes out.
Exemptions That Lower What You Owe
Homestead Exemption
If you own and occupy your Kenner home as a primary residence, the homestead exemption shields the first $7,500 of assessed value from most property taxes.2Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1703 – Exemptions On a home assessed at $20,000, you pay tax on $12,500. The exemption covers houses, mobile homes, and properties held in certain trusts, provided the owner lives there. You apply in person at the Jefferson Parish Assessor’s Office with your act of sale and a photo ID showing the property address.3Jefferson Parish Assessor’s Office. Jefferson Parish Assessor Once granted, it stays in place as long as you continue to live in the home.
Senior Assessment Freeze
Homeowners age 65 or older can apply for the Special Assessment Level, commonly called the senior freeze, which locks the home’s assessed value so later market increases don’t raise the bill. Your prior-year federal adjusted gross income must be at or below $100,000 to qualify. For married couples filing separately, both returns are combined. Beginning in 2026, the $100,000 threshold adjusts annually for inflation using the Consumer Price Index.1Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Constitution Article VII Section 18 – Ad Valorem Taxes
The freeze continues as long as you own and occupy the home. A surviving spouse age 55 or older can keep it. Construction or reconstruction that increases the property’s value by more than 25% is what breaks it.
Disabled Veteran Exemption
Veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating are exempt from all ad valorem property taxes in Louisiana.4Louisiana Department of Veteran Affairs. State Benefits It is a full exemption, not a partial one. Apply through the Jefferson Parish Assessor’s Office with your military discharge papers and VA disability documentation.
How and When to Pay
The deadline is December 31. Any amount unpaid becomes delinquent the next day.5Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:2127 – Interest and Penalty The City of Kenner accepts payment three ways:
- Online at payments.kenner.la.us, where you can look up your bill and pay electronically.6City of Kenner. Welcome to the City of Kenner Property Tax Website
- By mail, using a check or money order sent to the address on the payment voucher at the bottom of your bill. Include your account number and the exact amount owed.
- In person at Kenner City Hall during regular business hours.
Your bill carries an account number that ties the payment to your property. If the paper statement has gone missing, pull your account information from the city’s online portal. Make sure the payment amount and the tax year match the bill to avoid processing problems.
Many Kenner homeowners never pay the city directly because their mortgage lender collects taxes through an escrow account and pays the bill when due. Even with escrow, the taxes are ultimately your responsibility. Review the annual escrow statement your lender sends, and if an escrow shortage notice arrives, you can usually pay it as a lump sum or let the lender spread it across the next twelve monthly payments.
What Happens If You Miss the Deadline
Delinquent property taxes in Louisiana carry interest capped at 1% per month on a non-compounding basis, plus a penalty of up to 5% of the delinquent amount. Those charges begin accumulating on January 1 after the missed December 31 deadline.
If the balance stays unpaid, the parish tax collector can sell a tax lien on your property at a tax sale. You don’t lose the home immediately. Louisiana law gives you a three-year redemption period after a tax sale during which you can reclaim the property by paying all back taxes, interest, penalties, and costs. If you don’t redeem within that window, the tax sale purchaser can take ownership. Contacting the City of Kenner Finance Department early is better than letting the situation move through those stages.
How to Challenge Your Assessment
If you think the assessor valued your property too high, you can push back. The Jefferson Parish Assessor opens the tax rolls for public inspection each summer, typically from mid-July to mid-August. That is the window for an informal discussion with the assessor’s staff, where a recent appraisal, comparable sales, or photos of the property’s condition can support a lower value.
If that conversation doesn’t resolve things, file a formal appeal with the Jefferson Parish Board of Review. The filing window runs no earlier than August 1 and no later than September 15, and you have 15 calendar days within that period to submit paperwork with all supporting documentation.3Jefferson Parish Assessor’s Office. Jefferson Parish Assessor After the board rules, you can escalate to the Louisiana Tax Commission. Miss the window and the assessed value stands for the entire tax year.