An additional homestead exemption could eventually be granted to Safety Harbor's low-income elderly.
By MEGAN SCOTT
Published September 9, 2004
SAFETY HARBOR - Low-income seniors who own homes may get a much needed break.
On Tuesday, commissioners gave preliminary approval to a measure that would give some senior residents a special $15,000 homestead exemption. To be eligible, seniors would need to be 65 or older with an annual household income of less than $22,096.
"We're a pretty healthy community," said Commissioner Neil Brickfield, who proposed the idea at an April work session. "If we have seniors who fit the need, we should be extending them an additional homestead exemption."
In 1998, voters authorized Florida cities and counties to provide low-income seniors an additional homestead exemption of up to $25,000, on top of the homestead exemption of $25,000 currently given to homeowners. So far, St. Pete Beach, St. Petersburg and Dunedin are the only Pinellas County cities with such additional tax breaks for seniors.
The exemptions have been controversial because local governments are not sure how many people will take advantage of it or how it will affect municipalities' tax revenues.
"Those things you don't know until it happens," Property Appraiser Jim Smith said. "You don't know if people will even bother to come in for the exemption. How would you know people's incomes until they bring it to you?"
In Dunedin, for example, 691 seniors qualified for its $15,000 exemption this year - a tax impact of $39,836 in annual city revenue.
City Manager Wayne Logan Jr. was not able to say how many senior residents in Safety Harbor qualify for the additional exemption.
He presented several scenarios to commissioners, telling them that if 100 seniors qualify for the exemption, the impact on Safety Harbor's tax revenue would be $4,109.
But those numbers were just too uncertain for Commissioner Debbie White. She voted against the measure.
"I certainly would like to help the seniors in our community," she said. "I think we needed more information or to do a lower rate the first time."
Commissioner Nadine Nickeson said she would rather see Safety Harbor do something else with that money, such as capital improvement projects.
"If you want to give this money away, you should put it into something long-term," she said. "We have families in this city that I think could more utilize this money. They may have a greater need."
Commissioners are scheduled to approve the ordinance and turn it over to the Property Appraiser's Office before Dec. 1. The exemption will be included in the 2005-06 fiscal budget.
Brickfield said he doesn't know anyone who qualifies for the additional exemption. But he said when he conducted a survey for his campaign for a County Commission seat, 95 percent of respondents were in favor of it.
That number includes Safety Harbor resident Ruth Hayes, 81. She would be eligible for the additional homestead exemption.
"It's not easy when you're alone," she said. "When you go in the stores, you see how things are going up. You go in there thinking you're going to spend $20. You end up spending at least $5 or $6 more. That money would be helpful."
