Greenwich Selectmen Vote To Extend Senior & Disabled Homeowner Tax Relief

GREENWICH, CT — The Board of Selectmen last week unanimously voted to approve a request by the town's Commission on Aging (COA) to amend the property tax relief ordinance and extend the tax relief program for seniors and disabled homeowners by five years.

Should the amendment also be approved by the Board of Estimate and Taxation and Representative Town Meeting, the tax relief program will expire on June 30, 2029, if it is not extended by Dec. 31, 2028.

"This is a really important program," said COA member Lori Contadino at last week's regularly scheduled Board of Selectmen meeting. "It does help many older adults in our community, and contrary to popular belief, there are many in this time that do not have robust incomes and do rely on social security pension benefits, perhaps only, and this as a homeowner does help individuals age in place and stay in our town."

The program is open to senior homeowners age 65 and older who meet the town's eligibility requirements.

Owners of condominiums and cooperative apartments are also eligible, as are totally and permanently disabled homeowners.

COA member Kip Burgweger explained to the selectmen that Greenwich adopted a tax relief program for seniors in 2000. The program included five-year sunset clauses.

In 2019, the COA moved to extend the property tax relief ordinance to cover totally and permanently disabled homeowners — a decision that garnered support from the Board of Selectmen, BET and RTM.

That version included a sunset clause that would have caused the tax relief program to expire on June 30, 2024, if it was not extended by the end of this year.

In keeping with Greenwich's designation as an Age Friendly Town, Burgweger said the COA voted unanimously to extend the program to 2029, and he asked the selectmen for their approval, too.

First Selectman Fred Camillo said the program is important to the community, and he was in favor of voting right away instead of waiting for a traditional second read in two weeks. Burgweger said the item was time-sensitive.

Contadino noted that the utilization of the program was trending slightly downwards, and Selectperson Janet Stone McGuigan asked if the town should be concerned about that.

Contadino said it was important to "continuously try to heighten awareness" for the program.

For more information, click here or visit the Tax Assessor's office at Greenwich Town Hall.