Committee Hears Bill To Provide Seniors Property Tax Relief

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Dina Titus
March 2, 2005 775-684-6504

Committee Hears Bill To Provide Seniors Property Tax Relief

Legislation sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus (D-Las Vegas) to increase property tax relief for senior citizens was unanimously approved by the Senate Human Resources and Education Committee today (March 2).

Titus told the committee that a state property tax rebate to provide relief to senior citizens has not been updated since 1979, while property tax rates are skyrocketing. Titus proposed changing the threshold for eligibility for the program, as well as the amount of the rebate. She suggested raising the value of a home that would be considered eligible for the program from $87,500 to $120,000 and the liquid assets of an eligible senior from $150,000 to $205,000. Titus also recommended increasing the amount of the rebate from $500 to $1000.

The bill was supported by the Nevada Taxpayers Association and representatives of several senior groups.

Titus said this effort to provide more assistance for seniors struggling to stretch their income to cover dramatically increasing property tax bills is one small but important step in the effort to provide property tax relief to all Nevadans.

"The changes we are recommending today can make a real difference in the life of a senior citizen on a very limited income who already finds it difficult to pay for the basic necessities of life," Titus said.

http://www.leg.state.nv.us/titus/docs/seniors02102005.pdf