Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Forest run?
Forest’s village government spent $0 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $0 per resident.
What stands out about how Forest is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
West Carroll Parish School District
Forest’s K–12 school district, shared with Epps, Kilbourne, Oak Grove, Pioneer. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,759 per pupil, $7,403 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Louisiana districts overall: 47% local, 34% state, 19% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
No comparison or trend for Forest yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Forest’s 2022 operating figures are mostly a Census estimate, so they aren’t compared. It reported 2022 only, so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $199 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.46% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Louisiana.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Forest’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Forest’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Forest →
Who’s in charge in Forest
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 84 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (335).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Forest.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Louisiana HouseState representatives
- 3Louisiana SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Louisiana
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Forest’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Forest’s government
How much does Forest spend per resident?
About $0 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in Forest?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $199 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.46% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Louisiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.
Who runs Forest’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Forest yet.
How many people work for Forest?
4 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $15,154 (about $181,848 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Forest in the state legislature?
State Senate District 33 (Stewart Cathey) and State House District 19 (Francis Thompson). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Forest’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →