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GoogleHowever, a review by an intern with the Tennessee Municipal League and Municipal Technical Advisory Service says it may be better if Shelbyville defers adopting this program.
In 2007, the Tennessee's General Assembly enacted the Property Tax Freeze Act, which allows any county or city to adopt the program for those 65 and older.
The program is geared to protect qualified low-income seniors on a fixed income from the burden of future tax rate hikes or higher reassessment.
Under the program, eligible homeowners would only see an increase in their property tax if they make improvements to their property or sell it.
As of February of this year, 20 counties and 19 towns have adopted the program.
The program works by freezing the total taxes owed at the amount paid in the base year, which is the first year the program is implemented. In the base year, property tax bills are paid as usual.
However, in the following year, relief should be realized as the eligible homeowners' tax bills remain unchanged. The exact amount of savings would vary depending on each person's property assessment and the size in the change of the tax rate.
Homeowners who would be eligible for the program must be 65 or older at the end of the year in which the application is submitted, own residential property, earn a combined income of below $28,870, and the residential property can not exceed more than five acres.
According to figures from the state comptroller's office, nearly 12 percent of Bedford County citizens are 65 or older and within the income limits. For fiscal 2009, the property tax freeze income limit for the county increased from $28,220 to $28,870 and the state anticipates that claims for the program will increase as the number of those reaching age 65 increases.
But this also means that the program "will continually consume an increasing portion of property tax revenue and administrative resources," the review said.
The freeze would have a negative impact of 4.15 percent on local tax collections.
If the freeze were adopted, according to the report, the property tax would need to be increased by 4.2 percent on the non-protected taxpayers to offset the loss of revenue.
"While it will provide relief to the target population, low-income elderly homeowners, the Property Tax Freeze will result in higher burdens for all other non-eligible homeowners," stated the review, advising the city to defer implementing it.
Bedford County government has never formally considered adopting the freeze, although officials have discussed it informally.
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please
I think this is worthwhile. The majority of the people over sixty-five, use minimal services, from the city of Shelbyville. They in general do not have children in school, which consumes a large portion of the property tax income. I think that while most can afford the increases to the property tax, there are those that from month to month have to choose between medication and food and are left with very little disposable income. I think that a great place to make up the lost or potential lost tax revenues is to charge the rental property owners that rent a single home out to ten of fifteen people, that should have only a maximum of a family of four living in them.
docudrama... Please point out anyone who can afford their property taxes to increase. We already had a major increase a little over a year ago when the tax assessor made their 10% adjustment.
As for those over 65 not using services. They drive on the streets, they rely on law enforcement, they rely on the sanitation department. At one time they did attend school or have children in school.
Hey, I would enjoy being able to earmark my taxes on those things that I use. I have a few guns, so I don't need law enforcement. I'm not planning on going to jail, so I don't want to pay for that. Don't plan on going to the nursing home, so I don't want to pay for that either.
Maybe it's time for a wheel tax. We've needed it for a long time.
wtf, why do our officials continue to find a way to increase taxes?
I am so sick and tired of this spending by our national government, and this attempt by our local government to pass it along.
Wake up people, take your county back.
The freeze would have a negative impact of 4.15 percent on local tax collections.
If the freeze were adopted, according to the report, the property tax would need to be increased by 4.2 percent on the non-protected taxpayers to offset the loss of revenue.
"While it will provide relief to the target population, low-income elderly homeowners, the Property Tax Freeze will result in higher burdens for all other non-eligible homeowners," stated the review, advising the city to defer implementing it.
No, this is bs, cuts need to be made, what, we the tax payers of this county have unlimited money?
This bill was written to protect our senior citizens, and now we are hearing bs about a tax increase for others to cover it?
If this county does this then I shall no longer have faith in any aspect of local government here.
I am not ignorant. I know that the people over sixty-five drive, and get garbage pick up, and are protected by the police department. And for your sake Brett Favre , I hope you don't have to go into a nursing home. And when all of you that are against this tax freeze for the elderly, get to that age I hope that you don't have to choose between medication to keep you alive, and your taxes. I hope that you don't have to eat cat food so that you don't have the tax collector kicking your A%$ out of your home. This is what's going on in your town as you read this. Some poor woman or man is making the decision of what they can do with out in order to pay the tax man. Hope you've taken good care of your future. And yes a wheel tax would be quite nice, then everyone could help pay for the schools and roads and garbage, and police, and jails. As for the wheel tax. Bedford County voted it down every time it has come up so I guess a lot of folks think BS to that idea.. The elderly are no the burden on our tax structure, the largest burden is the undocumented aliens, illegal immigrants, in our county. There children are in the school system, and the families are not paying taxes to support the cost of the children. There is the added expense of an interpreter for the court system. Teachers hired to teach English as a second language to the children that can't speak English. This is where the tax burden resides. The elderly would still pay a tax, just no increase IF there were to be one. So we would not lose them as a tax base. I question the percentage that the city council has come up with as far as the impact. There would have to be quite a large tax increase in our future for the freeze to impact everyone else as harshly as the council has stated.
Why can we not get wheel tax in this county?
It has to be voted in by the people of the county. It was voted on just a few short years ago, and was trounced handily. I am not sure how long the issue has to wait before it can be brought up for a vote again.
Brett Favre-
Your talking about cuts in the local government...Are you talking about cutting your job in local government with the City's codes Department? You keep bash blogging anything regarding local city government. Have you forgot who pays you every week? Quit being Brett Favre and sign in under your real name. Time to be a man!
docudrama sure nailed it bringing up all the costs the illegals have here.
Direct and indirect costs.
Anyone check the cost of the translators at the Court House?? According to Thomas Smith, 'she' is being paid $29,000 or $30,000 per year.
What about the 'special' police officers? or Sheriff deputy's ? or even as docudrama mentioned, teachers !!
My relatives who arrived here learned English as fast as they could so they could A S S I M I L A T E !!
They also were legal and came here to be Americans. They did not come here to steal food, housing, jobs and schooling from their new neighbors.
WE NEED 287G HERE. Illegals need to go !!
when is the people of bedford county ans shelbyville going to say to our officals that it is enough? the city needs to look at all the new vehicles that they have bought in the last four years and try to run the city like we have to run our homes.
There are other burdens on the tax structure and they don't have anything to do with illegals...shocking I know! How about the born here, tried and true citizens that continually get locked up for DUI or drug offenses? Or, the redneck idiots who call the law time and time again to settle a domestic dispute, only to kiss and make up the next day. It is a waste of the officer's time and a waste of the court's time. And, even though I know bashing the "illegals" is fun for you folks, consider this...if they rent, a portion of their rent is used for the landlord's property taxes, and when they make retail purchases, a portion of the sales tax makes its way back to the county and city. So, they do help support the community. I would even hazard a guess that they put more back into the community through their purchases than the typical Section 8 resident who pays no sales tax on food, has government sponsored insurance, and no desire to improve their life.
"Par for the Course", I agree with you 100% and I should have included the title 8 folks in my statement about burdens on our tax structure. A gross exclusion, on my part. They are more a drain on our community than the illegal's. However, the illegal's are here illegally. So, on top of the people that have been sucking us dry for the past forty-five years, since John Kennedy created the welfare state that we all pay into now. We have the added burden that continues to get worse. I have nothing against people coming to this country that do so legally and go through the proper means to do so. In fact I was invited to a Somali friends swearing in as a U.S. citizen. I was proud of what this man had done. He came from the war torn city of Mogadishu. And went through the proper channels to obtain a visa, came to the U.S. worked hard for the time required to be qualified to take the citizenship test, Pasted the test and was sworn in this past Friday. He had to know the names of both of the TN Senators, and all nine of the Congressman from our state. I just wonder how many of the Title 8 folks even know we have nine Congressmen let alone their names. But I digress. I don't mean to be bashing the illegal's alone, there are a lot of burdens on our county and city as far as our tax structure. Not least of which is the spending habits of those in charge of the money. It's time for the people to go to the counsel meetings and let their voices be heard, blogging does nothing to change the issues. It does however, let people know that there are others as passionate about the wellbeing of their community. Everyone that has written an opinion needs to let the ones running this show know how they feel, and the only way to do that is to get off our couch potato behinds and speak out.
Brett Favre-
Your talking about cuts in the local government...Are you talking about cutting your job in local government with the City's codes Department? You keep bash blogging anything regarding local city government. Have you forgot who pays you every week? Quit being Brett Favre and sign in under your real name. Time to be a man!
-- Posted by frustrated american on Mon, Apr 6, 2009, at 7:40 AM
I have a right to my opinion and to opine about it when I am OFF THE CLOCK at my place of residence.
My personal beliefs reflect my opinion for our local, state and federal governments living within their means and not increasing taxes every time they wish. If you consider that to be bash blogging then so be it. Just because of where I work does not mean that I have to agree with everything that occurs there.
Do you agree and support everything that occurs within your organization or place of work? You Frustrated American have a right to disagree if you wish to do so, as long as it does not make you insubordinate in your work place. I take my orders from the top, and I do my job as directed by my supervisors. I do think it is fair and reasonable for me to have an opinion outside of that.
I perform my job in the best capacity that I am able to for the benefit of those that I serve. My job is clear-cut and to the point to ensure public safety. I love my job and I love serving this community.
I have made no secret to anyone about my Alias "Brett Favre", on these blogs on the Shelbyville Times Gazette Web Site. The people that I work with, including supervisors and co-workers know who my real name is.
The reason that I don't post my real name, and become a MAN as you say it is because my personal life is separate form my public job. I perform my job with professionalism to the best of my ability and none of my personal viewpoints come into play.
I hope that gives you a little more insight into my thought process frustrated American, I enjoy many of your comments on these blogs and look forward to seeing you post more.