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Norris pushes for senior tax relief
Covington Leader, By Greg Little, Managing Editor
October 20, 2006
Sen. Mark Norris is on a mission.
“This creates hope for property tax relief for senior citizens,” said Norris, R-Collierville, who represents all of Tipton County.
Norris is referring to Amendment 2 which appears on the November general election ballot.
If approved, the measure will enable local municipalities and counties to freeze property taxes for eligible seniors.
“Our objective is to make it possible for seniors on fixed incomes to keep their homes, not forcing them to choose between paying for their prescriptions or property taxes,” said Norris.
Norris said he has been working six years on getting the amendment on the ballot. It passed both the Senate and House in 2005 by a majority and then passed both bodies by a two-thirds majority earlier this year.
That is the process which is used in order to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
Norris is currently focusing on the ballot initiative, saying many people are not informed about the details, meaning they might not know how to vote.
He said there has been no organized opposition to the amendment.
However, he stressed it must pass by a 50 percent-plus one vote margin of the number of people who cast ballots in the race for governor. He said that is a crucial point because it can’t just pass by a majority and is directly related to how many people vote in the governor’s race.
It is possible that some people will simply not vote on the amendment and cast a ballot for governor, which could defeat the amendment. That’s why Norris is focusing on getting the word out about the property tax relief amendment.
“All too often, issues of affordability force senior citizens out and deny them the dignity they deserve in later life,” said Norris.
The senator said the state constitution currently prohibits property tax relief for senior citizens. A Shelby County court ruling resulted in that happening.
That’s why Norris said he has been working hard to get the amendment passed through the General Assembly and into the hands of voters.
If it does pass, Norris said the Legislature would then have to establish the income levels applicable for property tax relief.
“It would then be up to the cities and counties,” said Norris.
Currently, Norris said there are 800,000 people age 65 and older in Tennessee. That number, according to projections, will double in 30 years.
Norris said one of the reasons he thinks this is crucial is because of the current trend of in-home health care.
“There won’t be a home to be cared for,” said Norris.
Norris called the amendment a “public service” for senior citizens and thinks its passage is crucial.
Should it pass, Norris said he would make that his top priority in January when the General Assembly reconvenes in Nashville. He would immediately begin working on getting the income levels established.
Asked if it would be a burden on local governments, Norris said he thinks that would not be the case.
“Local governments can plan and budget for this,” said Norris.
Norris said he has been asked by some people about the current property tax relief programs in place for disabled veterans and some senior citizens.
“Those are grants,” said Norris. “This is actually money people would not have to pay. The grant funds have to come from somewhere.”
Norris stressed the amendment does “not let people of the hook” because it would freeze their property taxes at their current level. They would still have to pay property taxes, but not face any increases. He also said it would not be retroactive and would freeze the taxes at the current levels should local governments choose to enact the program.“Appreciation is part of this,” said Norris, saying he thinks senior citizens of this state deserve such respect for their contributions over the years.
Norris has even developed a slogan in his campaign to raise awareness. It is: “Amendment 2, It’s the right thing to do!”
Norris said he is willing to speak to any groups or organizations about the program.
Additionally, a couple of websites have been established to give people more information. You can go to www.marknorris.org or to www.tennesseniors.com.
You can also reach Norris by calling his office at 1-800-449-8366, ext. 11967.
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