Board adopts revised tax‑relief scale for elderly and disabled

The Appomattox County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt a revised property tax‑relief schedule for elderly and disabled residents, raising the income maximum to $45,000 and the maximum financial worth to $175,000.

Commissioner of Revenue Sarah Henderson presented modeled outcomes for two options, explaining that the proposal advanced by Supervisor Wolfskill would expand eligibility while keeping relief tiers: 0–$35,000 income (100% relief, cap $600); $35,001–$40,000 (75% relief, cap $450); and $40,001–$45,000 (50% relief, cap $300). Henderson told the board that Wolfskill’s plan was estimated to provide about $40,848.61 in total relief to 87 applicants, compared with $26,554.51 under the board’s March 31 plan, which would have applied to about 80 applicants.

Supervisor Wolfskill said his primary motivation was to simplify administration and avoid frequent fine‑grained table lookups for small bracket changes; he estimated the change would cost approximately $14,000 more than the March plan in current dollars. Board members asked for clarification about applicants who would be excluded by assessment changes; Henderson and staff noted seven applicants did not qualify under either plan because of higher assessment values.

Wolfskill moved to adopt the new standards. Mister Simpson seconded the motion. The board recorded a unanimous voice vote in favor, and staff said a draft ordinance reflecting the new scale will be prepared for a public hearing at the next meeting.

The board’s action changes eligibility and cap amounts previously adopted in March and takes effect after the required adoption steps and public hearing.