Claremont City Council is preparing to vote on updated property-tax exemptions for elderly and disabled residents after City Assessor Steve Hamilton reviewed the proposed qualification standards at the council’s Oct. 28 meeting.
The standards account for a 3.7% inflationary increase, along with an applicant’s income and assets other than the value of the applicant’s home. The changes would apply to residents seeking municipal property-tax relief under the city’s elderly and disabled exemption programs.
Proposed income limits
For the elderly exemption, the proposed income ceiling would be $29,500 for a single person and $38,900 for a married couple. Hamilton said 45 properties fall within that category.
| Exemption | Single-person income limit | Couple’s income limit | Applicants or properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elderly | $29,500 | $38,900 | 45 properties |
| Disabled | $26,400 | $35,600 | Seven individuals |
The proposed disabled exemption would use income limits of $26,400 for a single person and $35,600 for a couple. The eligibility calculation also would consider assets other than the applicant’s home. Hamilton said seven individuals qualify under that category.
- The income and asset standards include the reported 3.7% inflation adjustment.
- The applicant’s home is excluded from the asset calculation described by the city assessor.
- The city council plans to take the ordinance up for a final reading before a decisive vote.
The ordinance will receive a last reading at the next City Council meeting, when members of the public will be invited to comment. The council is then expected to vote on whether to adopt the updated exemption standards.
The tax discussion came during a meeting that also included approval of a proposed police-dispatch agreement with Charlestown. Claremont Police Chief Brent Wilmot had tested the arrangement by having Claremont dispatchers provide 32 hours of coverage during each of two weekends. Dispatchers handled 17 calls for service during each weekend period, which officials determined was manageable.
Claremont’s council approved the dispatch contract after legal counsel reviewed it and the state attorney general approved it subject to approval by both the Claremont City Council and the Charlestown Selectboard.
