Centerville council promotes proposed changes to senior tax exemption | Politics | Macon.com

CENTERVILLE — City Council spent much of its Tuesday work session discussing its attempt to get residents to vote to alter the city’s senior tax exemption.

Council has put forward a plan to change the current 100 percent city property tax exemption for residents 70 and older to one that gives seniors a $50,000 tax break.

The proposal to change the exemption will be before voters on the Nov. 5 ballot. Early voting is now underway.

“The biggest thing is it’s a matter of fairness across the board,” said Councilman Ed Tucker, who introduced the measure after more than two years of on-and-off discussions by council. Council unanimously approved the measure to seek the change.

Tucker and other council members said the change is needed so city services used by all residents, such as police and fire protection, are paid for by all and not just those younger than 70.

Councilman Cameron Andrews said he agreed the change was a matter of fairness, and he was angry it took so long for a change to the exemption to come up for a vote.

Under council’s proposal, instead of paying no city property taxes, those 70 and older would be granted a $50,000 exemption before the standard 40 percent taxable value is applied to their home for city tax purposes.

The owner of a $100,000 home, for example, would pay taxes only on $20,000 of the home’s total value.

Based on the current millage rate of 11.972 mills, the tax on the home would be $239.44.

via Centerville council promotes proposed changes to senior tax exemption | Politics | Macon.com.