A proposal by county Democrats to increase the real property tax exemption for senior citizens is moving forward but with a lower amount.

In January, Democratic Legislators Tom Nelson of Jamestown and Bob Bankoski of Dunkirk proposed amending the partial real property tax exemption for seniors from a $30,000 income limit to $38,000.

That resolution was sent to committees for further review.

At the Audit and Control Committee meeting, Kim Meleen, real property tax director, and Heather Young-Deyell, who is the assessor for the city of Jamestown and five other towns, appeared at the meeting to discuss the proposal.

Young-Deyell noted that two years ago, the county legislature raised the senior partial real property tax exemption from $22,000 to $30,000. ‘When we did this in 2024, we were making an adjustment for the COLA. The Cost Of Living (Adjustment) was between 7 and 8 percent,” she said.

Young-Deyell doesn’t feel another adjustment is needed now. “As an assessor for multiple municipalities, we do not see the need for an increase again from $30,000 to $38,000,” she said.

Legislator Dalton Anthony, R-Frewsburg, noted that the more tax breaks are given to seniors, the more younger people have to pay.

Legislator Fred Johnson, R-Westfield, agreed. “Young homeowners trying to get into the market, you’re raising the cost to them,” he said.

Legislator Tom Nelson, D-Jamestown, sees a value in helping seniors. “There’s a lot of elderly people making less than $38,000 who are saying, ‘We’re having a hard time staying in our house,'” he said.

As a compromise, Johnson proposed increasing the partial real property tax exemption from $30,000 to $32,000 to stay with inflation. “Every time one does not keep things adjusted to inflation more or less, you end up with these cliffs, which are then a struggle, because you have not dealt with real money,” he said.

His proposal to modify the resolution from $38,000 to $32,000 was passed by the Audit and Control Committee by a 3-1 vote, with Johnson voting no.

The modified resolution will now be voted by the full legislature at its Wednesday night meeting.