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Resident urges property-tax exemption for seniors, links rising taxes to out-of-state buyers
Summary
Resident Alan Lowberg told the Select Board that out-of-state buyers have driven gentrification and doubled his property taxes; he proposed exempting Social Security–receiving seniors from property taxes, and the board said an ordinance would require voter approval.
During the public-comment period, resident Alan Lowberg argued that out-of-state buyers have caused gentrification in Hope and said his property taxes have doubled as a result. He proposed that the town exempt "all senior citizens who receive social security" from having to pay property taxes and asserted the Select Board could enact such an ordinance.
The Select Board responded that it could not simply enact such an ordinance without voter approval. Other residents present acknowledged similar pressure from rising property taxes, including impacts on younger residents and families. The minutes record Mr. Lowberg urging people who cannot afford to live here to sell and move, language the board did not endorse.
No formal action or referral was recorded in the minutes on the proposed senior exemption; the board’s response focused on the legal and procedural limits of its authority rather than adopting a policy change.
