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Northfield assessors back raising senior "work-off" tax credit to $1,500
Summary
The Northfield Board of Assessors unanimously supported the Council on Aging's request to raise the Senior Work Off credit from $1,000 to $1,500 per participant and to increase the overlay allocation from $5,000 to $7,500; the BOA asked Walker to prepare a statement for the Selectboard.
The Northfield Board of Assessors voted unanimously on March 18 to support a request from the Council on Aging to raise the Senior Work Off credit per participant from $1,000 to $1,500 and to increase the overlay allocation to cover the change.
Colleen Letourneau, Senior Center Director, and Deb Lanou, a Council on Aging member, presented the proposal and said the increase would help more seniors who do not qualify for existing senior exemptions and would align Northfield's program with nearby towns. Bethany Walker, a member of the Board of Assessors, moved that the BOA support the COA's request; Alice Lord seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Walker will draft a statement to be sent to the Selectboard conveying the board's support.
The COA requested raising the per-participant credit from $1,000 to $1,500, which increases the program's total overlay allotment from $5,000 to $7,500 (an additional $2,500). Letourneau and Lanou emphasized that the additional funding would broaden eligibility beyond those already qualifying for statutory senior exemptions.
The board recorded the action during its regular meeting at 69 Main St.; Letourneau and Lanou left the session at 1:26 p.m. The BOA discussed the change as a recommendation to the Selectboard rather than a binding appropriation; the transcript indicates the BOA's vote was advisory and that implementing the change requires Selectboard action and any necessary adjustments to the town's overlay and tax accounting.
Background and next steps: the board's vote authorizes a statement of support to the Selectboard. The Selectboard must consider the BOA's recommendation and, if it approves, reflect the increased overlay allocation in the town's fiscal accounting and tax commitments.
