VIDALIA &045;&045; Ordinance changes passed by the Concordia Parish Police Jury will help make sure those building a new home or business give more accurate estimates of the value of those developments.

That’s important because the fee a person must pay for a building permit is based on the estimated cost of construction, said Police Juror Cathy Darden.

&uot;It happens all the time &045;&045; someone will tell us they’re building a house worth $100,000, and after they build it it’s obvious it cost at least $200,000 to build,&uot; said Darden, a member of a Police Jury committee formed to address the problem.

The committee contacted parish governments throughout the state to see how they deal with the issue, only to find out not many has a process in place to make sure applicants were telling the truth.

&uot;A lot of parishes are having this problem,&uot; Darden said.

With that in mind, the Concordia Parish Police Jury decided to require building permit applicants to submit a written contractor’s estimate of the project’s cost, according to ordinance changes adopted by the Police Jury Monday.

&uot;We’re not trying to get down to the penny. We’re just trying to make sure&uot; a more accurate and honest figure is given, Darden said. &uot;Right now, we’re just taking their word for it.&uot;

Not only that, but the applicant signing the permit document can now be prosecuted for perjury if he signs false information.

Giving the information shouldn’t be a problem, Darden said, adding that &uot;no one builds a house without knowing how much it’s going to cost them.&uot;