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Douglas County expands property-tax rebate pilot, raises maximum rebate to $400
Summary
Commissioners authorized staff-recommended changes to the county rebate pilot (4-0), including increasing the cap to $400, aligning income-counting rules with the state homestead refund, and targeted outreach; staff reported 135 applications and $31,000 disbursed this year.
The Douglas County Commission voted unanimously Oct. 8 to authorize changes to the county property-tax rebate pilot for 2026 after staff summarized first-year results and proposed adjustments.
Jake Broadbent, assistant to the county administrator, said the pilot is designed for homeowners age 65 or disabled veterans with household incomes at or below the HUD very-low-income guideline (county policy currently counts 100% of Social Security in household income and excludes disability payments). The county program also limits county-appraised-home value to $350,000 and caps the rebate at $300 per household this year.
Broadbent reported that the county received 135 applications in the pilot year; 109 applicants were eligible for a rebate and 22 were ineligible (15 exceeded the income limit; seven were younger than 65 or not disabled veterans). The county disbursed about $31,000 in rebates this year, an average of $281 per household, which staff said was about a 37% rebate of the county portion of tax and a 13% refund of total property tax for recipient households. The average appraised value of participating homes was $205,000.
Staff recommended three main changes for 2026: increase the maximum county rebate from $300 to $400; count 50% of Social Security toward household income (to align with the state Homestead refund rules); and use either the HUD very-low-income guideline or the Homestead refund income threshold, whichever is higher. Broadbent said the changes are intended to increase participation and better align county eligibility with state programs. He also described outreach plans including the senior-resource center, AARP tax-prep programs and the state's veterans office.
Commissioners asked staff about outreach, whether home-value caps discouraged applicants, and the fiscal impact. Staff said the county allocated $500,000 from fund balance to support the program and that they would add tax-billing inserts and targeted mailings to reach potential participants. After discussion, the commission voted to authorize the 2026 property tax rebate program with the recommended changes on a 4-0 voice vote.
