Doña Ana County staff detail budget impact of House Bill 47 veterans exemptions

Doña Ana County budget staff presented an impact analysis of House Bill 47 on county property-tax revenue, telling the County Commission the bill raises the basic veteran exemption from $4,000 to $10,000 beginning with tax year 2025 and creates a percentage-based disabled-veteran exemption effective in tax year 2026.

Lucio Luttrell, Budget and Research Officer, told commissioners the bill amends two statutory provisions: section 7-37-5 (veteran exemption) and section 7-37-5.1 (disabled veteran exemption). "Currently, that exemption amount is $4,000 but that amount will now be $10,000 beginning tax year 2025," Luttrell said. He added that the $10,000 exemption will be adjusted by the consumer price index in subsequent years.

Luttrell said the disabled-veteran change will allow exemptions proportionate to a veteran’s federal disability percentage beginning in tax year 2026; "fully disabled veteran exemption is…