MONROE, Conn. — First Selectman Terry Rooney and Assessor Justin Feldman recently spoke to Monroe Senior Center patrons about plans to increase the benefit for senior tax credits through the Elderly and Permanently Disabled Tax Ordinance by about $250, though the details are still being worked out.
“We’re looking at a few different options, but at $250 more in each bracket as a starting point,” Feldman said. “We understand with the reval and inflation there’s a lot of pressure for people living on fixed incomes, so we’re looking to do what we can to try to mitigate some of the costs.”
This builds upon a revision to Monroe’s property tax relief program made last year, which increased eligibility from households earning up to $60,000 to households with a total income of $75,000. The income-based program, for those age 65-and-older who lived in town for a minimum of one year, currently has about 300 participants, according to the first selectman.
Rooney, who stopped by for Bingo and to share plans to increase the tax benefit on March 16, said he makes time for visits to the senior center to hear what’s on patrons’ minds.
“We can do better for our seniors,” he said. “I’ve heard a lot of complaints from seniors about struggling to afford to stay in town, and we’re just looking for ways to keep them here.”
Rooney said he is working on the latest revisions to the Elderly and Permanently Disabled Tax Ordinance with Feldman and Susan Bannay, chair of the Commission for the Aging. Once their work is complete, the Monroe Town Council will vote on an amendment to the ordinance.
While eligibility was expanded last year, Rooney said they did not increase the benefit itself out of uncertainty over the impact of the state-mandated revaluation. Prior to this, the ordinance was last amended in 2007.
Feldman said last year’s changes were made for cost of living adjustments (COLA) due to inflation. Among changes to the income ranges were:
- $0 to $23,600 for a 15 percent tax cut and maximum reduction of $1,500 per year was changed to $0 to $30,440.
- $23,601 to $32,700 for a 13 percent tax cut with a maximum reduction of $1,300 is now from $30,440 to $41,580.
- $32,701 to $47,376 for an 11 percent tax cut with a maximum reduction of $1,100 is now $41,580 to $52,720.
- $47,377 to $55,850 for a 9 percent tax cut with a maximum reduction of $900 is now $52,720 to $63,860.
- $55,851 to $60,000 for a 6 percent tax cut with a maximum reduction of $600 is now $63,860 to $75,000.
The program is offered annually and the filing period runs from Feb. 1 to May 15. Participants must come to the Assessor’s Office of Monroe Town Hall, 7 Fan Hill Road, with an application form and documentation, including federal income tax returns and a Social Security 1099 statement.
No appointment is necessary. Application forms can be downloaded in the Assessor’s section of the town website under “resident tax relief.”
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Taxes need to be frozen for seniors in the town of Monroe. The reason being seniors are on fixed income and are empty nesters and will have to continue to sell their properties as taxes continue to rise. This will result in more students to the town which will cause taxes to rise for students moving into town needing schools. This is the cycle.