Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Resolution Would Establish Tax Freeze Study Committee
Press release
At this month's regular session meeting of the Lawrence County Commission, commissioners Chris Jackson and Bert Spearman are sponsoring a resolution that would establish a committee to study the feasibility of instituting a tax freeze for seniors in Lawrence County.
In 2006, the citizens of Tennessee overwhelmingly supported the idea of a property tax freeze when it was presented on state-wide referendum.
Since the referendum passed, each local governing body now has the option to institute a local property tax freeze for qualifying seniors.
A property freeze tax would keep property tax rates at their current levels for qualifying seniors (seniors who are deemed low income through state guidelines), meaning that if the county ever raised property taxes in the future, their rates would not go up.
Commissioner Jackson said it will be this committee's goal to study whether it would be feasible for Lawrence County to institute such a policy. "I definitely support the concept of a property tax freeze for seniors if our budget allows us to do so.
Seniors all across our county are living on fixed incomes and are struggling just to get by as the cost of food, utilities and prescription drugs continue to skyrocket. We need to help them all we can.
That is why it is vital that the county really take a hard look at the property tax freeze or at least increasing the tax relief amount seniors are eligible for each year because any additional help the county can provide would be beneficial." Jackson said.
Once the committee has studied all the aspects of the policy, they will then make a final recommendation to the full commission to consider. Currently, 22 counties and 25 municipalities have adopted a property tax freeze.
The meeting, which is open to the public, will take place of Tuesday May 28 and will begin at 5:00 p.m. inside the commission meeting room of the Lawrence County Courthouse, 240 West Gaines Street.
