KEY TAKEAWAYS: Proposed tax breaks: Amendment No. 10 would allow Louisiana parishes to offer property tax exemptions for rehabilitated blighted or derelict properties. Residential exemptions: Eligible residential properties could receive exemptions on up to 75% of their assessed value for as l ong as 20 years. Vacant land incentives: Qualifying vacant, unimproved land could receive exemptions on up to 25% of its assessed value for up to 10 years. Arguments for and against: Supporters say the proposal could encourage redevelopment and reduce blight, while critics warn it could reduce local tax revenue and shift costs to other taxpayers.   A proposed amendment to the Louisiana Constitution on the Nov. 3 midterm ballot would allow parishes to provide tax breaks for rehabilitating blighted property. Amendment No. 10 would allow an exemption of up to 75% for residential property for up to 20 years and an exemption of up to 25% for vacant, unimproved land for up to 10 years. Eligible property would involve land or a structure that had been declared a public nuisance or unsafe, a fire hazard, dangerous to human life, a public safety hazard or a health hazard and that has been rehabilitated. Amendment No. 10 was advanced through the Legislature as House Bill 214 by Republican Rep. Chance Henry of Crowley. Following is an edited explanation of Amendment No. 10 from the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, which provides a voter’s guide without taking a position. For PAR’s full analysis, go to the complete guide.   Amendment No. 10: Tax exemptions for rehabilitated property Ballot language: Do you support an amendment to allow property tax exemptions for blighted or derelict properties that have been rehabilitated, and to require the legislature to enact laws providing for administration of these exemptions? Proposed change: The amendment would allow local governments to offer an optional property tax exemption for blighted or derelict property that has been rehabilitated. A corresponding law that takes effect if the amendment passes defines what property would be eligible for the tax break and the process that parish governing bodies would  use to award the tax exemption if they decide to participate. Eligible property would involve land or a structure that had been declared a public nuisance or unsafe, a fire hazard, dangerous to human life, a public safety hazard or a health hazard and that has been rehabilitated. For residential property, up to 75% of its assessed value could be granted an exemption from property taxes for up to 20 years. For  vacant, unimproved land, up to 25% of its assessed value could be granted an exemption from property taxes for up to 10 years, but only if the land is adjacent to a lot that has a residence or a commercial structure. The parish government would decide within those parameters how much of a tax break to offer. Assessors do not determine which properties are derelict or blighted, so the number of properties that might be eligible for the exemption if a parish government chooses to offer the property tax break isn’t clear, according to a financial analysis from the Legislative Fiscal Office. A vote for would: Create an optional program that allows parishes to provide property tax exemptions for rehabilitated property that had once been blighted or derelict. A vote against would: Maintain current property tax exemptions, which don’t include authorization for parishes to create a new tax break for rehabilitated properties. Argument for: Blighted property is a widespread problem in some parishes, damaging the values of neighboring homes and businesses and causing public safety problems. Offering a tax exemption for rehabilitating such property could help clean up eyesores, get properties back into commerce and add to the housing supply. The program is optional so a parish that doesn’t think the tax break is affordable doesn’t have to offer it. Argument against: Special property tax breaks erode the tax dollars available to local government agencies that provide needed services and shift the tax burden to fewer taxpayers. The law wouldn’t require the property receiving a tax exemption to remain habitable. The length and scope of the exemption is too large. It could encourage developers or house flippers to take advantage for financial gain, rather than homeowners. Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Louisiana voters can give tax break to homeowners who fix blighted property Reporting by Greg Hilburn, Shreveport Times / Shreveport Times USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect ...read more read less