HomeMy Public PortalAbout11-12-2014 Property Tax Exemptions_201411061202519796Michael J. Driscoll
Town Manager
TOWN OF
WATERTOWN
Office of the Totvn Manager
Administration Building
149 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Phone: 617-972-6465
Fax: 617-972-6404
www.watertown-ma.gov
townmgr@watertown-ma.gov
To: Honorable Town Council
From: Michael J. Driscoll, Town Manager
Date: November 6, 2014
RE: Fiscal Note - Exemptions
Enclosed please find correspondence from Francis J. Golden, Chairman, Board of Assessors regarding
the Optional Additional Property Tax Exemption Order that will be considered at the November 25,
2014 Town Council meeting.
As stated in Mr. Golden's correspondence, the cost of exemptions to 100% maximum allowable
increase above statutory levels is projected to be $196,850 which will be paid from the overlay
account.
Mr. Golden will be attending the November 25, 2014 Town Council meeting and available for any
further discussion on this matter.
cc: Francis J. Golden, Chairman, Board of Assessors
Thomas J. Tracy, Town Auditor
Karen Norton, Assistant Town Treasurer/Collector
Steven Magoon, Community Development & Planning Director/Assistant Town Manager
Francis 1. Golden, Chairman
TOWN OF
WATERTOWN
Board of Assessors
Administration Building
149 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Phone: 617-972-6410
Fax: 617-972-6497
www.watertown-ma.gov
fgolden@watertown-ma.gov
To: Michael J. Driscoll? Town Manager
From: Francis J. Golden, Chairman of the Board of Assessors
Date: November 6, 2014
RE: Property Tax Exemptions
On November 25, 2003, Town Council voted to accept the provisions of Chapter 73 of the Acts of
1986, as amended by Chapter 126 of the Acts of 1988 for the Fiscal Year 2004. This acceptance had
the effect of increasing by 100% the amounts available under Massachusetts General Law Chapter
59, Section 5, Clauses 17D, 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 22E, 37A and 41C.
In addition, Town Council also voted to accept the provisions of Chapter 184, Section 51 of the Acts
of 2002 for all those property owners who are otherwise eligible for exemption under Massachusetts
General Law Chapter 59, Section 5, and Clause 41 C. This acceptance had the effect of increasing
income and asset requirements by the maximum allowed under Chapter 184, Section 51 of the Acts
of 2002.
Because there were no changes this year in the law altering the exemptions amounts or qualifications
for any of these statutory exemptions, the Board of Assessors recommends maintaining these
amounts and qualifications at their current level for Fiscal Year 2015.
The Chart on the following page lists the current exemption amounts and the expenditures in those
categories for Fiscal Year 2014 which totaled $196,850.
FISCAL YEAR 2014 EXE MPTIONS
EXEM PTION CLA USE DESCRIPTION
STATE
REI MBUSEMENT UP TO A STATUTORY LOC AL OPTION
RATE PER RECIPIENT LIMIT OF AMOUNT AMOUNT
CLAUSE 17D QUALIFIED SURVIVING SPOUSES OR SENIO $ 175 .00 $54,656.00 $ 175 .00 $ 350 .00
OVER AGE 70
CLA USE 22 (A -D, F) QUA LIFIED DISABLED VETERANS AND SUR' $ 225 .00 NO LI MIT
MERIT SPO USES OF QUALIFIED DISABLED VETERANS
$ 400.00 $ 800.00
FISCAL 2014
# AMOUNT NET
GR AN7 GRANTED REIMBURSEMENT EXPENDED
CLAUSE 22E MERIT 100% DISABLED VETERANS
$ 825.00 NO LI MIT
$ 1000 .00 $ 2000.00
CLA USE 37A BLIND PERSO NS $ 87.50 NO LIMIT $ 500.00 $ 1000.00
(CLAUSE 41C QUALIFIED SENIO RS O VER AGE 65 $ 502.00 $45 ,692 .00 $ 500.00 $ 1000.00
43 $15,050 $54,656 ($39,606)
106 $84,800 $23,850 $60,950
21 $42,000 $15,825 $26,175
32 $32,000 $2,800 .00 $29,200
23 $23,000 $11,546 $11,454
$196,850 $108,677 $88,173
THE STATE REIM BURSEMENT FOR 17D IS A FLAT $54,656 NO M ATTER HOW MANY RECIPIENTS WE HAVE - IT IS BASED ON THE TOTAL REI MBURSE MENT GRANTED IN THE YEAR THAT CLAUSE 17
WAS UTILIZED BEFORE SWITCHING OVER TO 41C WHEN 17D CAME INTO EFFECT .
THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR 41C IS BASED ON THE DOLLAR REIM BURSEMENT RATE (PER RECIPIENT) THAT WAS GRANTED IN THE LAST YEAR THAT THE CLAUSE 41 WAS UTILIZED BEFORE
SWITCHING OVER 41C (WHICH WAS 91 RECIPIENTS AT $502 PER).