By Celeste Katz Marston — Celeste@theconcordbridge.org
Voters have until noon on Monday to apply for an in-person absentee ballot for the upcoming special town election.
The June 25 ballot asks one question: Should Concord move to make a senior means-tested property tax exemption permanent?
According to the town, the tax break was designed to help low-and moderate-income seniors stay in their homes. Those who get the exemption “will have their property tax bills discounted by 10 percent of their gross income, for up to 50 percent of total property tax,” according to a town brief mailed to voters.
Passage would mean Town Meeting wouldn’t have to renew the exemption every year — but meeting voters could also discontinue the program in the future if they wish. Rejection would make the break unavailable as soon as the new fiscal year.
Pro and con
A pro-passage argument provided to voters says only 33 residents are now enrolled and the impact is around a penny on the tax rate. “The exemption, though small on the scale of current valuations, is important to the recipients,” it says.
The “con” argument says “continuing the exemption would benefit a limited number of Concord homeowners and would require a total of approximately $100,000 in revenue to be raised through taxes paid by other taxpayers.”
On Tuesday, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Precinct 1 voting is at 141 Keyes Road; Precincts 2 and 3 vote at the Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main Street, and for this election only, Precincts 4 and 5 voting is at the Concord Armory, 91 Everett Street.
For details and questions, visit concordma.gov/375/Elections-Voting, email townclerk@concordma.gov, or call (978) 318-3080.
[uc_local_image]Sample-Ballot-06252024.pdf
