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Commissioner proposes raising income limits, exemptions and maximums for elderly and disabled tax relief
Summary
Master Commissioner of Revenue Britney Flowers proposed increasing income eligibility from $45,000 to $50,000, raising household exemption from the first $4,000 to the first $6,000, and increasing maximum tax relief amounts to $1,700 for certain brackets; she compared neighboring localities and said applications will mail March 18 and be due May 1.
Master Commissioner of Revenue Britney Flowers presented a review of City Code sections 106-109 and 106-112 and proposed adjustments to the city's tax-relief program for elderly and disabled residents. Flowers said the proposed changes would raise the income limit from $45,000 to $50,000, increase the exempted portion of household income from the first $4,000 to the first $6,000, and increase some maximum relief amounts to $1,700 (up from $1,500 for the lowest bracket as described).
Flowers compared Petersburg’s proposed limits with neighboring localities and described recent application mailings: 566 applications were mailed in 2024 (27 denied); last year 327 were mailed and applications fell to 327 when citizens hesitated to provide required information. She said 150 new applications will be mailed in addition to 298 existing applications for a total of 448 to be mailed on March 18 with a May 1 due date.
Councilmembers asked Flowers to include additional locality comparisons—including Richmond, Portsmouth, Danville and Fredericksburg—in a future report. Flowers said she would have that information at the next council meeting. The proposal will proceed through the council process and public hearing schedule; no ordinance adoption occurred at the work session.
