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White County to send property-tax relief options to budget committee after review of state-funded program
Summary
Commissioners reviewed state-provided property-tax relief figures for elderly, disabled and disabled veterans, discussed county options (100% match, percentage match or gap-filling for assessment ratio) and agreed to refer proposals to the budget committee in April for drafting and recommendation.
A staff member who visited the trustee's office told the White County Commission on Thursday that the state initially allocated $157,903 for the county'administered property-tax relief program and that 772 taxpayers qualified at the start of the season, including elderly, disabled and disabled veterans.
The staff member said the state payment levels typically run about $115 for elderly and disabled claimants and $617 for fully disabled veterans, and that, as of March 13, roughly $155,2xx had been paid to 716 claims so far. The staff member also said 46 applicants had been disqualified this year for income, death or other eligibility reasons.
Commissioners focused on how the county could supplement the state contribution. The staff member laid out three options: a 100% match of whatever the state pays, a percentage match, or a program designed to fill the gap created when the county'wide assessment ratio reduces the effective relief pool. "You could do a 100% match, a percentage of the 100% match, or you could do a ratio-difference match," the staff member said.
Officials discussed budget predictability and fairness. One commissioner warned that matching the state exactly would make the county's required contribution fluctuate each year with the state appropriation and the number of applicants; another said a flat county payment would be easier to budget and less volatile. A resident urged prioritizing the county's lowest-income households.
The commission agreed to send the issue to the budget committee for April with instructions to develop concrete options and cost estimates. The referral was procedural rather than a formal vote: commissioners said the committee should return with a plan the full commission can consider and that the trustee'office deputy, Lori Howard, should be asked to provide updated numbers.
The county also heard from a resident who summarized application requirements obtained from the trustee's office: a deadline of April 5, 2026; a required SSA-1099 (Social Security statement); a combined income limit for those on the deed of $37,530; matching ID and property address; Medicare card copies; signatures for all deed holders; and proof of age (65 by Dec. 31, 2025) or disability to qualify.
Next steps: the budget committee will evaluate options and costs in April and present recommendations to the full commission. No formal county-level funding decision was made at the meeting.
