Idaho Senate gets bill to keep older owners in their homes

By KEITH RIDLER

Associated Press

BOISE — A proposal to expand a property tax reduction to higher valued homes that backers say will keep older, low-income Idaho residents in their homes headed to the full Senate on Tuesday.

The Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee approved the bill that alters a law passed last year by increasing the maximum value of a home that qualifies for the property tax reduction program, called the circuit breaker.

The circuit breaker is intended to shield older, disabled or widowed Idaho residents with fixed or limited incomes who can be put at risk of losing their homes due to soaring home values and rising property taxes.

“It is my contention that applicants for the circuit breaker will be taken off the program because the value of their homes has gone up through no fault of their own," said Republican Sen. Regina Bayer, the bill's sponsor. “These people are mostly senior citizens needing the help that has been offered to them since this property tax reduction program began in 1974.”

The new bill adjusts the maximum value of qualifying residential homes to 200% of the median assessed value of homeowner exempt homes from the current 125%. The increase would allow more low-income homeowners to qualify for the property tax reduction.

Several county assessors told lawmakers that making the change would allow older homeowners with limited incomes in their counties to remain in their homes.

Jerry White, the Shoshone County assessor, said that in his county of about 12,500 people, about 2,000 use the circuit breaker. Of those, he said, 91 would have been excluded from the program under the 125% limit, including 44 widows.

“Small county, I know these people,” he said. “There's no way they can pay their property tax without this program.”

He said the limit under the 125% was $189,000.

He said the area prospered from hard rock mining in silver mines, with miners making good money and building nice homes.

“But hard rock miners die young,” he said, creating widows still in those homes. “This is their home. They don't care if that home is worth $50,000 or $50 million. This is their home. They want to die in this home."

Also speaking in support of the measure were Garden City Mayor John Evans and Lupe Wissel, state director of AARP Idaho.

“Unfortunately, the property tax continues to be the most burdensome tax for many of our low-income, older residents here in the state," Wissel said. “The circuit breaker property tax relief is meant to help older Idahoans age in their homes and communities among families and friends.”

She said that about 3,000 homes would be removed from the program if the 125% limit remains in place.