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Patrick County schedules public hearing after debate over raising elderly tax-relief eligibility and exemption
Summary
Commissioner of the Revenue proposed raising combined income eligibility from $24,000 to $28,000 and increasing the exemption from $300 to $400; supervisors suggested higher figures and the board scheduled a public hearing for Jan. 12, 2026, to consider changes.
Glenda Morris, Patrick County Commissioner of the Revenue, updated the Board of Supervisors on the 2027 reassessment and proposed modest changes to the county’s elderly and handicapped tax-relief program to reflect rising costs of living.
Morris told the board field work for the 2027 reassessment began Sept. 22 and by Dec. 11 had inspected 4,213 properties with 2,416 data entries completed. Turning to tax relief, she said the combined household-income eligibility cap has remained at $24,000 for seven years and recommended raising it to $28,000 and increasing the exemption from $300 to $400 to better match current social-security and cost-of-living adjustments.
Supervisors pressed staff on alternative thresholds. One supervisor suggested raising eligibility toward $32,000 and increasing the exemption to $500; another noted the program’s resource limit of $100,000 (unchanged since 2008) but said that limit was not the primary barrier to access. Members acknowledged the program’s importance in helping seniors cover housing, utilities and medication costs.
County staff clarified that changing program eligibility or exemption amounts requires a public hearing. The board then moved to schedule a public hearing on proposed changes to elderly and handicapped tax relief for Jan. 12, 2026, and the motion passed on recorded 'aye' votes.
No final program changes were adopted at the meeting; staff will return with the formal proposal and public-notice materials for the January hearing.
