Ordinance Committee forwards proposal to double disabled‑veteran property abatements to council

The Lawrence City Ordinance Committee voted unanimously Oct. 28 to forward to the full council a proposal to increase local property‑tax abatements for service‑connected disabled veterans.

Chief Assessor Victor Vega said the city currently grants an abatement of $400 for veterans with a rating below 100% and $1,000 for 100% disabled veterans. Under the proposal the city would raise the lower‑tier abatement to $800 and the 100% abatement to $2,000 for the next fiscal year. "This is sustainable, with our current overlay amounts," Vega said during the committee meeting.

Director Ortega, who said the mayor supports the change, described the increase as long overdue and aimed at bringing Lawrence more in line with neighboring communities. Vega told the committee the city administers roughly 63 veteran exemptions now and that in a recent year the total abatements distributed from the overlay account were about $37,000, of which roughly $25,000 was reimbursed by the Commonwealth. He estimated that doubling the local abatement amounts would raise the net city cost to roughly $72,000, noting the state will reimburse eligible portions but will not reimburse locally added amounts in full.

William P. Collins, appearing for Disabled American Veterans Chapter 2, told the committee he submitted the request on behalf of the chapter and urged the council to allow the increase to take effect this year rather than wait until the following fiscal year. "The whole purpose was to get this done for this year," Collins said, asking that the city "make us whole" compared with other municipalities that have already increased their abatements.

Committee members asked for additional detail before the full‑council vote, including exact reimbursement figures from the Commonwealth and a forecast of the overlay account balance in the next fiscal cycle. After discussion, the committee made and passed a motion to forward the item to the full council with a favorable recommendation by unanimous voice vote.

Next steps: the item will appear on the full Lawrence City Council agenda for final action; staff said they will provide more detailed reimbursement and fiscal‑impact numbers in that report.