 |
|
|
|
From Mark's Desk: Dear Friends, One of the most important issues for me over the last six years has been the need to provide senior citizens with some relief from skyrocketing property taxes. As property taxes continue to rise, many older residents feel “punished” for a lifetime of fiscal responsibility. The solid investment in their homes seems to come back to haunt them. It is time for Tennessee to join the ranks of other states across the nation which “freeze” the amount of property tax imposed at the amount assessed upon the taxpayer’s principal place of residence in the year the taxpayer turns 65. Those on fixed incomes are hit hardest because they do not have extra income to pay the increased tax assessed upon the appreciated value of their home. That is why it is time for a senior citizens’ Homestead Exemption in Tennessee. Citizens frequently express frustration at the lack of such an exemption and demand that lawmakers do something about it. I am pleased to say that voters now have the opportunity to make this a reality. This year, I passed Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 1 which put a referendum to amend Tennessee’s Constitution o the ballot and, if approved, would provide local municipalities and counties the option of enacting property tax freezes for senior citizens. But the referendum on this November’s ballot must pass for this to become a reality. Passage of the Amendment 2 enables local municipalities the option of choosing whether to enact property tax freezes for their community’s senior citizens. But for that to take place, this Resolution must pass on November 7th. To help get the word out, I have launched a website with additional information on the legislation: www.tennesseniors.com . Please let the seniors in your community know that we are nearing the finish line on property tax relief, but there is a little further to go and we need everyone’s help: VOTE YES ON AMENDMENT 2! Time Is Wasting On Christmas Eve, I wondered how many low and middle-income Tennessee senior citizens would sacrifice necessities like medication, food or maintenance just to pay property taxes next year. For many years, I worked to make property tax relief for senior citizens a reality. I sponsored the resolution for a Constitutional amendment recognizing that advancing age often makes a difference in one’s ability to pay higher taxes and preserve their home. On November 7, 2006, nearly 1.4 million Tennesseans agreed and voted overwhelmingly in favor of allowing local governments to freeze property taxes for 65 year old homeowners. Now, the General Assembly has only to establish the maximum income qualifications for eligibility, and tax relief can become a reality for thousands of low and middle income Tennesseans who need it most. For their sake, the debate should not be divisive or prolonged. That is, unless politicians and state bureaucrats try to gum up the works by raising unrealistic expectations or unnecessarily complicating the issue. Those who want this to become a popularity contest will propose unrealistically high income limits. The result may then be that local governments will not participate at all, or there may be an unwarranted shift in tax burdens where local governments insist upon raising new taxes. Bureaucrats will address problems where none exist appearing to be helpful while hoping that tax relief never becomes a reality. The games have already begun. I filed my bill to implement tax relief for senior citizens the day after 83% of you demanded it. The issue for the General Assembly should be simple -- the income cap. I proposed $50,000. Cities and counties should be free to establish their own programs up to that amount depending upon their ability to do so without unnecessarily raising taxes for everyone else. The Comptroller’s Office gratuitously circulated a “white paper” raising issues which may never even need to be addressed if we leave the administration of the program to those with the greatest accountability – local governments. I recently hosted a meeting of city and county officials in Nashville. A number of hypothetical issues were raised there, too. It became clear those issues can easily be addressed if we give local governments the freedom to do so without State interference. When it comes to tax relief for senior citizens, one size won’t fit all. Each locality has different demographics, different income, and different ability to participate. Otherwise, we risk complicating matters to such an extent that tax relief may never become a reality. We must not let this happen. The concept should be one of local determination. Each town and county needs to be able to write its own script in providing it. You need to be able to look your county commissioner or city councilman in the eye and demand tax relief in 2007. Time is of the essence. |
