Elderly tax break proposal passes Senate

by Erik Schelzig, TheDailyTimes.com
The Associated Press
March 31, 2006

NASHVILLE -- A 27-year-old attempt to freeze property tax rates for elderly homeowners moved forward Thursday, with the Senate unanimously passing a constitutional amendment for Tennessee voters to consider.

The measure, which still requires House approval, would halt tax increases when residents reach age 65. A similar law enacted by the legislature in 1979 was found unconstitutional.

``We're removing the constitutional impediment'' by seeking to put the measure before voters, said Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville.

If approved by voters, the amendment allow county and city governments to freeze the assessed value of homes owned by elderly residents. But it wouldn't necessarily apply to all homeowners, because the legislature could set income limits for those who receive the break.

Several states allow such tax relief for the elderly.

``This would protect them against increased taxes and increased property valuations,'' Norris said. ``They'd still pay their taxes, just not the increases.''

A measure must be approved by successive assemblies of the legislature for a constitutional amendment to be placed on the ballot. Both chambers passed the measure in 2004.

If the House approves the proposal this year, it could go before voters in November. But even then, it has to be approved by a number of voters equal to the majority of those casting ballots in the 2006 governor's race to become part of the Tennessee Constitution.

Norris read senators a letter from Ellen Chambers, a constituent who had urged passage of the amendment in 2003.

The then-81-year-old Collierville resident wrote that the changes could save her from having to sell her home after her property taxes increased by nearly $1,000 in seven years.

``I have no savings, no emergency funds, so when something breaks down, like my furnace 3 years ago, I had to take out an equity loan against my paid-for home to pay for it,'' Norris read from the letter.

Norris said his office has been unsuccessful in trying to reach Chambers about the latest developments.

``When we called her home the phone was disconnected,'' Norris said. ``I hope Mrs. Chambers is well, and that she didn't have to sell her home.''

Mark Norris Official Web Site

Mark Norris Personal Web Site

Tennesse Senate Republican Caucus

Senator Mark Norris
303 War Memorial Building,
Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0232
Phone 615-741-1967
1-800-449-8366

Email: Sen. Mark Norris