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Proposed bills would provide property tax relief for seniors

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Two bills in the Missouri legislature would offer seniors relief from property taxes.

The bills would freeze property tax assessments for seniors a year before they qualify for social security. Dennis Ganahl of the group Missouri Tax Relief Now says he's hearing from people in their 70s who are still working part time jobs so they can pay their property taxes.


"Most of them have owned their homes for decades and so they are paying taxes on what is, in effect, unrealized capital gains," Ganahl said. Their fear, he added, is that they'll have to sell their homes.

The bill in the House is sponsored by Rep. Ben Keathley of Chesterfield, and the one in the Senate is sponsored by Sen. Ben Brown, who represents the area near Franklin County and parts of West St. Louis County.

In an op-ed for Phelps County Focus, Ganahl wrote, "Seniors remaining in their homes help keep families intact. Seniors volunteer in schools and nonprofits and add diversity to their neighborhoods. Since nearly all of Missouri's younger adults will reach retirement, they will eventually benefit from freezing their home's value."

A hearing for one of the bills is set for Feb. 14 in Jefferson City. Ganahl is asking seniors to sign an online petition at motaxreliefnow.org.

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