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County officials may once again increase the income level to get a real property tax break for low income seniors.
For tonight's Chautauqua County Legislature meeting, a resolution has been filed to increase the Senior Citizen Homeowners’ Partial Real Property Tax Exemption from $32,000 to $33,000.
The resolution is sponsored by legislators Marcus Buchanan, D-Dunkirk and Tom Nelson, D-Jamestown.
When it was originally filed, the resolution proposed annual increases based on Cost Of Living Adjustments.
During the discussion at the Administrative Services Committee meeting, county Finance Director Kitty Lyons noted any kind of increase to the exemption for senior citizens shifts the costs to other residents. "If one group is exempted, that means the reduction they received is spread out over the rest of the tax base," she said.
In 2024, the legislature increased the senior income exemption from $22,000 to $30,000.
Then in February, the exemption increased from $30,000 to $32,000. That month was chosen ahead of the March 1 deadline to apply.
Lyons noted that she understands why the legislature would want to have an automatic COLA increase, however she said it would be more difficult to manage. "It would cause some complications administratively to make sure the assessors know what our exemption is every year," she said.
Real Property Tax Manager Kim Meleen noted towns are not required to follow the county's exemption but many of them do.
Legislator Bob Scudder, R-Fredonia, proposed increasing the amount by $1,000 each year for the next few years, so the county could easily state what the increase would be.
Buchanan said he supported that proposal. He said he sees seniors that aren't getting any more money and have challenges as medical bills and other costs go up.
But Legislator Dalton Anthony, R-Frewsburg, said it's not just seniors who are struggling. "We can go back and forth and talk all day about how we don't want seniors to leave, but we're also not helping the battle of keeping young people here to invest in the county," he said.
But Buchanan was not swayed with Anthony's statement. "I'm sorry but I don't agree with that. We don't support our seniors enough. ... My kids can manage. They can get two jobs, three jobs. Someone who is 85 years old can't do that," he said.
Anthony proposed raising the income level by $1,000 for one year only and then have the committee look at it again next year.
Buchanan agreed and the committee unanimously backed the resolution so it could go to the full legislature for final approval.