By Geena Monahan – For the North Star Reporter
It was standing room only at the Town Council’s March, 10, meeting, packed with senior citizens who thought they were at a public hearing for a senior tax exemption in the event of a positive vote for a debt exclusion to pay for a new high school on June 3.
Residents and fellow councilmembers expressed confusion upon learning that Town Councilor Mark Gould amended his measure shortly before the meeting started, instead proposing a flat $1,000 tax break for seniors as a standalone measure, with no ties to the new high school vote.
North Attleborough resident Sue Longchamps addressed Gould and said “We’re here because you posted on social media that it was a senior tax break tied to the high school and we all showed up for that. For some people it might not have been a complete waste of time, because this has been very informative, but in some respects it was a waste of time because this is not what we thought we’d be here for.”
Gould apologized, but pointed out that his amended measure, if voted on by the council, would still deliver relief to those who qualify and serve as an opportunity to look out for North Attleborough’s seniors.
“Some felt the original proposal was too closely tied to the school project, which could be perceived as divisive,” said Gould. “It focuses back on the original purpose of the senior exemption, which isn’t the high school. It’s that seniors need help to afford the rising costs of living.”
Gould’s proposal outlined an approximately $17 increase per year for an average single-family household assessed at $570,000 in order to take some of the burden off of seniors. To qualify for Gould’s proposed tax exemption, one must:
- Already qualify for the Massachusetts Senior Circuit Breaker criteria
- Be of 65 years of age or older if a single applicant or, if jointly applying, must have one applicant be above 65 and the other above 60.
- Own and currently live at the property
- Have lived in North Attleborough for at least 10 years
The timeline of when a tax exemption of this sort would take effect is uncertain, as it requires a special Home Rule Petition entailing a positive vote from both Town Council and the state legislature – the House and Senate – followed by approval from the governor.
Some seniors raised concerns over the criteria, especially from those who don’t currently qualify for the Circuit Breaker tax credit because of assets they hold. While ideas on how to bring seniors relief differed, there was one thread that continuously wove itself through the public hearing: seniors are worried about the future and struggling to make ends meet.
“Have you thought about anything else for seniors?” said Adeline Bee, who has lived in North Attleborough for over 20 years. “In Rhode Island, some of the towns there, when you reach 65, taxes are frozen. So whatever they’re paying at 65, that’s what they pay for the rest of their lives.”
“I’m living off my Social Security and one tiny, tiny pension,” said Pat Johnson, a resident of over 40 years. “I try to do everything I can for myself to help, but it’s getting to that point that I don’t know what I’m going to do. My girlfriend and I are talking about selling both of our houses to go together somewhere else. I might look into housing, but it’s a five-year wait for housing.”
Council Vice President John Simmons, among other council members, expressed interest in learning more about a general tax program that would support all seniors, instead of a measure that would only help about 116 seniors, a number mentioned by Gould.
“I thought we were coming to talk about $1,000 if the high school passes to help reduce the cost for the seniors, and that’s no longer what’s being presented to us or to you,” said Simmons. “But if we’re now talking about a new senior exemption, period, I’d be interested in hearing a lot of options.”
“I love this idea of a broader assessment of how to help seniors,” said Keith Lapointe, who is running for a seat on Town Council in the upcoming April 1 election. “I think it’s a really, really smart idea.”
Gould’s amended measure did not receive support to move to a vote on the matter, but a motion from Councilor Dan Donovan was put forward and seconded to refer the measure to the Finance Subcommittee.
Simmons followed with a motion to amend the referral to include both Gould’s measure and exploration of a wider range of tax relief ideas. Both Donovan and Simmons’ motions were passed unanimously and will be discussed by the subcommittee in the upcoming months.
