Decatur Mayor Jim Baskett recently promised a senior-citizen group the city would pursue a homestead exemption bill during next year’s general assembly to help offset the 20 percent increase in Decatur’s tax digest. Decatur’s school board also announced intentions to explore homestead exemptions. The school system offers full exemptions from the school tax millage for seniors 80 and above. But Chairman Garrett Goebel said the board would like to extend exemptions to those 65 and over.
“What we might do is take the household income into effect,” Goebel said. “We shouldn’t exempt a millionaire over 65, but we should exempt seniors on a fixed income.”
The city and school system have separate millage rates. The city’s homestead exemption bill was defeated in the House last April. Goebel added the school board hopes to draft its own homestead exemption resolution by August.
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