Garden District Security District

Funding & Management

How the District is funded?

There are no individual charges for supplemental security services. Instead, the GDSD is supported by a property tax of up to 19 mills assessed on all real property in the District. In 1998, the imposition of the tax was approved by a vote of 72 % of the residents of the District. In 2002, again in 2010 and, most recently in 2018, the tax was renewed by a large majority vote in the district.

Each year in the Fall, the GDSD Board of Commissioners calls a public hearing and meets to set a budget for the next year and to determine how many mils the City Council will levy for that year. Though the maximum allowable millage is set at 19 by law, the levied amount in the past few years has hovered around between 8-9 mils. A homeowner of a house assessed at $350,000 with a 10 mil levy is subject to pay approximately $350.00 for that year for the service provided by the GDSD. This amount is billed to property owners on their property tax statements sent at the end of each year by the City of New Orleans. Payments are due by February 1 each year or penalties are assessed by the City.

An assessment on all properties within the District allows all homeowners benefitting from the 24-hour patrol services to pay for the service rather than a few homeowners paying for all neighbors to receive the service as in many other neighborhoods that have voluntary memberships to pay for patrol. It also allows for steady income for the neighborhood District which in turn allows for steady patrols throughout the day, week and year, a big deterrent in crimes for the area.

How is the GDSD managed?

The security district is managed by a dedicated group of your neighbors in the District. Like you, they live in the District and are concerned about the safety of the entire area. Please feel free to contact any of them or the GDSD Executive Director with issues or suggestions on how to improve the safety of the area. The GDSD office is open each weekday to handle calls from residents and businesses and property owners. The number is (504)525-7911 and has a voicemail service. If you prefer send an email to gdsdpatrol@bellsouth.net. The link to the legislation that created and renewed this legislation can be found here: http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=91721
All GDSD Commissioners must live within the boundaries of the GDSD
GDSD Commissioners 2022-2023
Appointed By:

Wendell LeGardeur, President
Chestnut Street

Garden District Association

Mary Schmidt, Vice President
Seventh Street

St. Charles Ave. Assoc.

William Wolf, Secretary
Camp Street

Mayor

Kenneth Davis, Treasurer
Sixth Street 

Garden District Association

Richard Baudouin
Louisiana Avenue 

Garden District Association

John Charpentier
St. Charles Avenue 

State Rep, District 91

Juliet Holton
Louisiana Avenue 

Magazine Street Merchants’ Assoc.

Allain Hardin
Prytania Street 

Garden District Association, President

Catherine Makk
Coliseum Street 

Senator, District 5

Shelton Shugar
Fourth Street 

Garden District Association

James Wood
Coliseum Street

Garden District Association

Executive Director:
Shelley Landrieu
Office – 504-525-7911
gdsdpatrol@bellsouth.net 

Patrol: Pinnacle Security
Chad Perez, Owner
504-934-1411

Mike Lentz, Post Commander
504-899-4373