This bill short title An Act to Increase the Homestead Exclusion”, gives to NC seniors who are 65 years or older and those who are permanently disabled a property tax break if their yearly combined income is $25,000.00 or less. This cap will provide property tax relief for 80,000 or at least 8% more of the senior population in this state. This bill will help the lower middle class seniors who are now known as the “the working poor”. These seniors have spent most of their lives paying taxes only to be stripped of their pensions or retirements due to layoffs and exporting of jobs.

The NC House passed bill #1499, the Homestead Act, unanimously while the NC Senate was asleep. Evidently the Senate is still asleep because HB 1499 has been sitting in the Senate Finance Committee since June 21, 2007. Although all the senators have received completed updates on this bill as it progressed, it seems that very few of the senators have read their mail or took phone messages. Is this why we have to pay for study commissions? All information on this bill was totally researched and data was provided to each member of the General Assembly.

Our neighboring state of South Carolina is automatically qualifying their seniors by living in their homes for at least one year when they become 65 years of age. By the time senior’s age to seventy years, they are totally exempted from the tax rolls. NC is NOT friendly to seniors and they should be. Our state seems to have misspent our tax monies in many ways and yet NC must be more accountable.

My question is why are the senators still sitting on a log when they should be moving this bill out for approval? It is not part of the budget balancing act. They have used that as an excuse but that is not the case. For awhile excuses were we could not pay for it. If we can pay for businesses to come into this state to do business and get them up and running, certainly we can pay for our seniors to get a property tax break. Recently seniors upon inquiring about house bill #1499 have been told it would be part of a bigger picture possibly for next year’s session. With prices escalating at a fast pace, how in the world does that help the senior who is sitting at home? Taxes are escalating as fast as prices increases while CEO’s and others are reaping the rewards. Waiting, for the senior, is a monumental task. That task is taking their money and means of support.

Seniors have paid their dues and continue to do so. Less than 18% of NC’s seniors will benefit from this bill and that leaves 82% still paying their taxes. I am reminded of a story that was told to me about a 94 year old senior who walked into the tax office to pay his tax bill on his home. He remarked, “I should not have to go through this at my age. I think I may have paid longer than most of my friends; most of them are already dead. Is there no rest for the weary”?

The NC House has done their homework and has come up with a reasonable solution for this session. They put their minds together and passed unanimously House Bill #1499, the Homestead Act, and sent that bill over to the Senate for approval.

Fact is known that as soon as the budget receives final approval in this session, in a couple of weeks or so, the doors to the General Assembly will close until next year. All unfinished business such as our HB #1499 will die. We cannot let the senate walk away without doing its job.

Now we as NC Seniors representing senior groups across the state are waiting to see if the NC Senate Finance Committee led by Senators David Hoyle, Dan Clodfelter, John Kerr, Fletcher Hartsell and Larry Shaw do the right thing and pass this bill for the seniors who are out there waiting for help of which they so richly deserve in this 2007 Session.
       
Senators will you do the right thing?

Shirley Wiggins,

Special Legislative Action Chair,
NC Senior Democrats
Phone: (704)824-9368
2957 Beaty Road
Gastonia, NC 28056