To the editor:
I’m an artist and writer who has lived and worked from home in Housatonic for many years. I also present lectures, teach classes, and lead workshops throughout the country. I normally have sufficient income from all these sources to pay my Great Barrington property taxes. But these are not normal times.
Because of the pandemic, I’ve lost a major part of my income and wish that Great Barrington had already approved a Senior Tax Deferral program with updated income levels and tax rates used by many other Massachusetts towns. Therefore, I was glad to read about “Senior Tax Deferral — A Safety Net in Uncertain Times” in the November Senior Center Grapevine Newsletter. I was also glad to see the Senior Tax Deferral supported at the recent meeting of the Selectboard and Planning Board Housing Subcommittee, in the video posted by The Berkshire Edge.
Although I was able to pay the recent property taxes, a Senior Tax Deferral program would give me peace of mind against any future financial crunch from higher property taxes, unexpected expenses or loss of income, thereby assuring I could continue to live in my home in Housatonic.
This program is of benefit to more than just older homeowners, in that it would decrease property turnover with its inevitable rise in real estate prices and help keep neighborhoods intact and stable.
For decades, many other Massachusetts towns have provided this safety net program for their senior homeowners. Earlier this year, A Berkshire Eagle editorial strongly recommended senior tax deferral as a way to “mitigate the added burden on those who might otherwise be forced out of the neighborhoods they call home.”
An updated Senior Tax Deferral would not affect any changes in the tax rate or increase costs to the town — deferred property taxes will be paid back to the town with interest whenever the property is sold or the owner passes away.
On Tuesday November 16 at 6 p.m., the Great Barrington Finance Committee will consider making Senior Tax Deferral available to older longtime residents with more than $20,000 annual income (the limit state law set 30 years ago). Many towns have since updated qualifying incomes to the $40,000–$60,000 range, while others have increased eligibility to $92,000. While some towns charge less than 1 percent interest, I urge the Finance Committee to set an annual interest rate in the 1 percent to 3 percent range, and not impose high rates on seniors in their time of need. Every year, the Selectboard will have the power to adjust interest rates as needed.
Surely, Finance Committee members value long-time older residents, the stability we bring to our neighborhoods, and how our “aging in place” counterbalances ever-increasing home sale valuations. An updated senior tax deferral program accessible to long-time low-and-middle income senior residents at current fair interest rates will accomplish these ends.
Carol Diehl
Housatonic
