SP0247
LD 811
Session - 129th Maine Legislature
 
LR 770
Item 1
Bill Tracking, Additional Documents Chamber Status

An Act To Provide Additional Flexibility in the Municipal Property Tax Assistance Programs for Seniors

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 36 MRSA§6232, first ¶,  as enacted by PL 2005, c. 395, §4, is amended to read:

The legislative body of a municipality may by ordinance adopt a program to provide benefits to persons with homesteads in the municipality. A municipality may choose to restrict the program to persons who are at least meet minimum age requirements as long as the minimum is not less than 62 years of age.

Sec. 2. 36 MRSA §6232, sub-§1,  as amended by PL 2007, c. 635, §1, is further amended to read:

1. Conditions of program.   Except as provided in subsection 1-A, a program adopted under this section must:
A. Require that the claimant has maintained a homestead in the municipality for a certain period of time, as determined by the municipality;
B. Provide benefits for both owners and renters of homesteads; and
C. Calculate benefits in a way that provides greater benefits proportionally to claimants with lower incomes in relation to their property taxes accrued or rent constituting property taxes accrued.

A program adopted under this section may impose additional standards of eligibility and procedures, as long as those standards are established by the municipality by ordinance.

summary

This bill amends the law regarding municipal property tax assistance programs to provide more flexibility to municipalities that choose to implement a program by allowing the municipality to establish:

1. A minimum age for eligibility, as long as that age is at least 62 years; and

2. A minimum length of time that the claimant has maintained a homestead in the municipality.

A municipality may impose other eligibility standards and procedures, as long as they are established by ordinance.


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