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Danbury proposes consolidated tax-relief ordinance to expand credits for seniors and disabled residents
Summary
Danbury officials presented a draft ordinance to merge five local tax-relief programs into a single program designed to simplify applications and expand eligibility; the draft sets income tiers, valuation thresholds and a two-year enrollment window and outlines required documents and an application window of Feb. 1–May 15.
Danbury City Assessor Donna Murphy presented a draft ordinance that would collapse five separate local tax-relief programs into a single program intended to expand eligibility and simplify the application process for seniors and residents who are 100% disabled. Council President Peter Bizaid opened the workshop and asked members to hold detailed questions until the Committee of the Whole.
Murphy said the ad hoc committee’s goals were to "consolidate the city's 5 local programs, create a new program so that more seniors would qualify for benefits, [and] simplify the process" so applicants would submit one application for one program. She reported current participation counts and costs for the existing programs and said total local benefits for seniors and the totally disabled were roughly $1,000,001 (as presented).
The draft sets several eligibility criteria: applicants must be Danbury residents, the property must be the applicant’s primary residence, vehicles must be registered in Connecticut, and valuations and asset caps would be tied to the previous revaluation’s median value. Murphy described the proposed valuation thresholds as "no greater than twice the median home value" for the property receiving the benefit and total real-estate-assets capped at three times the prior median.
On income, the city proposal would mirror the Office of Policy and Management’s (OPM) tier levels with a $20,000 upward adjustment and would use gross income. For the city calculation the assessor’s office would count 50% of Social Security or Railroad Retirement income (Murphy noted the state program counts 100% of Social Security), a change the assessor said would allow more seniors to qualify. Murphy illustrated the impact with examples showing higher credits under the proposal than under prior rules.
Murphy also described benefit ranges in the draft: married filers would see a top credit of $1,200 and a minimum of $500; unmarried filers would see a top credit of $900 and a minimum of $300, with tiered reductions for higher incomes. Approved applicants would remain on the program for two years and must reapply when notified. The assessor said applications would be taken by appointment in the assessor’s office between Feb. 1 and May 15, and first-year applicants should provide federal tax returns and Social Security 1099s.
Murphy summarized the policy rationale: "we're having this program so that seniors can stay in their homes where they raise their families," and said the ad hoc aimed to target benefits to primary homes rather than second homes or assets not in use. The presentation included counts for the existing programs (as presented): elderly local program (810 applicants, $370,114.30), local energy assistance (945 applicants, $248,924.33), freeze program (reported as 5 65 applicants, $534,028.14), SAVE (28 participants, $19,600) and a deferral program with no applicants.
The workshop concluded with the chair opening the formal public hearing; Murphy said the assessor’s office will update the city website and help applicants with questions if the new program is approved.
