MONROE, CT — Town Council members unanimously approved an amendment allowing more senior citizens and disabled residents to qualify for property tax relief Monday night, following a hearing inside the Council Chambers of Monroe Town Hall.
Prior to the hearing, First Selectman Terry Rooney, who had requested an increase in income limits, said the proposal stemmed from conversations he had with Monroe Senior Center patrons, who expressed concerns over property taxes and housing.
Rooney said he worked with Planning and Zoning Administrator Kathleen Gallagher to increase the threshold of senior housing that can be built in town by 250 units. He said he hopes a developer will come up with a creative proposal, while ensuring the housing is affordable.
The first selectman also worked with Tax Assessor Justin Feldman to come up with the amendment to raise the household income levels on what is needed to qualify for Monroe’s property tax relief program.
Steve Kirsch, a member of the Board of Finance, expressed his support for the amendment, in which his board voted unanimously to recommend to the Town Council for the hearing.
The amendment was also vetted by Town Attorney Frank Lieto.
The last time income ranges in the Elderly and Permanently Disabled Tax Ordinance were amended was 2007, so Rooney said it was outdated due to cost of living increases over the years.
Among the changes, the income ranges of …
- $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.
Public support
During the hearing, Susan Bannay, who is chair of the Commission for the Aging, was among those speaking in favor of the amendment.
“We were very pleased to be able to work with the first selectman and the tax assessor to make this happen,” she said. “It’s a good start and modest compared to some towns, but in the middle compared to others. Thank you for supporting this.”
“I think it’s a fantastic first start and we’ve got the momentum going,” said Joel Leneker. “I want to see it go further. Why not start at $68,000 and freeze taxes on citizens, who have been here at least 20 years plus?”
Leneker also suggested waiving the funding of the Board of Education portion of the budget for seniors, who no longer have children in the school system and have long contributed to it with their taxes.
“I would love to do a survey and ask when kids graduate Masuk, how many of the parents stay around?” Leneker said.
Two more residents spoke in favor of a tax freeze. One said this is because the current town program offering reductions by certain percentages does not stop participants’ tax bills from going up every year.
Tom Rose told the Council he and his wife have lived in Monroe for 40 years. While he said he is fortunate to have a pension, Rose sympathized with those living on fixed incomes without a pension.
Rose said Monroe residents pay among the highest property taxes in the state of Connecticut and wondered why that is the case.
He was in favor of the amendment to provide tax relief to more seniors. “Thank you for recognizing the plight of senior citizens,” Rose said.
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The tax freeze looks like a way for my wife and I to stay in Monroe where we have lived for 52 years. We have one child and used the school system for only 13 of those years. Thanks for the efforts to find a solution for elderly residents who do not have pension incomes. And with the recent disclosure of possible reductions to Social Security this is even more timely.