Some Douglas County residents ages 65 and up as well as some veterans with disabilities will be eligible to apply for property tax rebates starting in 2025.
Douglas County commissioners approved a pilot program that will allow qualifying property owners to receive up to $300 rebates, or the county’s portion of their property tax, whichever is less.
“In this pilot program, those eligible for this program will be low-income seniors and disabled veterans with a maximum home appraised value of $350,000, the same valuation limit as the state’s Homestead Refund program,” according to the agenda item. “Staff will use the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) FY 2024 very low income limits to determine income eligibility.”
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) data for 2021 shows that Douglas County had 207 veterans with 100% service-connected disability, according to the agenda item.
County staff will bring a recommendation to the county’s 2025 operating budget for $500,000 of fund balance to seed the program; if funded at that amount, at least 1,666 property tax rebates would be eligible, according to the agenda item.
“It is anticipated that the County Clerk’s office will collect the applications from the public and approve their eligibility. They will work with the Treasurer’s office to track tax payments and then process refunds,” according to the agenda item.
Commissioners did not take much time in discussion before approving the pilot program unanimously.
“I know it doesn’t satisfy all the things that we’re hearing from (the public), but I think it’s responsive and it gives us a chance to try this out and see where we go with it the following year,” Commission Chair Karen Willey said.
Here’s an example application, more information and a timeline for how the process will work:
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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