Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elderly Exemptions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Brentwood board opens review of elderly and veterans property tax exemptions after revaluation
Summary
Residents urged the Select Board to revisit elderly and veterans exemptions after a recent revaluation raised home assessments; the board asked staff to verify valuation changes and income thresholds and to prepare a recommendation and possible warrant article for town meeting.
A resident appeal and board discussion on Monday prompted the Brentwood Select Board to begin a review of the town’s elderly and veterans property tax exemptions.
Julie (town staff) summarized current eligibility rules: tiered elderly exemptions by age bracket (with example exemption valuation tiers cited in the meeting), a net-income cap of $50,000 for singles and $65,000 for married couples, and asset limits of $200,000 excluding a residence. Resident Matt Bunker said his mother Dusty, who is on a fixed income after her husband’s recent death, faced a sharp tax increase following the town’s revaluation and asked the board to consider raising exemption amounts or adjusting income thresholds to restore relief.
Board members said they want to confirm the precise average percentage increase from the revaluation (figures discussed ranged from roughly 55% to nearly 69% in the meeting), review how the exemption tiers were originally set, and examine whether income or asset thresholds should be adjusted along with exemption amounts. The chair said the statutory process requires the Select Board to place any proposed change on the warrant for a town meeting vote.
The board agreed to research background materials, consult prior minutes and assessor data, and return with a recommendation in time to meet the town’s warrant deadlines (the board noted a typical February 1 target for warrant preparation). No formal change was made at the meeting; the item was left on the board’s radar for follow-up and potential warrant language.
"We had this reevaluation and the reevaluation increased properties substantially," a board member said, describing the impetus for the review. Resident Matt Bunker said, "My valuation went up … our taxes went up $20.22," and asked the board to explore adjustments that could provide relief for low-income seniors.
Next steps: staff will confirm the exact valuation-change figures and the number of current qualifying households, evaluate whether changes should be percentage-based or flat amounts, and return to the board with a recommendation before warrant deadlines.
