By Brandon T. Bisceglia
The Orange Board of Selectmen voted unanimously with one abstention at its Feb. 13 meeting to raise the income limits for veterans to receive property tax exemptions.
The proposal comes on the heels of a state law passed last year that allows towns to set their own income caps or eliminate them entirely.
The income limit for residents to receive the exemption was raised to $75,000. Orange previously limited eligibility to individuals earning up to $60,200 and married couples earning up to $67,900. Those who qualify can get a tax break of up to $20,000.
About 150 out 575 veterans in Orange already qualified for the tax exemption. There was no information available on how many of the remaining veterans in town might benefit from the higher limit.
First Selectman Jim Zeoli said town assessor Mark Branchesi had estimated the town could lose out on approximately $368,000 in revenue. The town budget approved for the current year is $69,885,168. Branchesi also estimated would reduce the grand list by about $3 million.
“It’s a few tenths of one mill,” Zeoli said.
Several veterans from the town spoke in favor of the proposal. Orange resident Paul Tarbox, who serves as a clerk of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the Connecticut General Assembly and championed raising the limit, argued that the town should eliminate the income restrictions entirely, saying soldiers aren’t asked about their incomes when they sign up to serve.
“When you come home, shouldn’t you have that same reflection on those we choose to honor with a thank you on behalf of the community? And we do that through this tax exemption,” he said.
Selectman Paul Davis said he thought the ordinance struck the right balance.
“It would be a pleasure for all of us to say, ‘Let’s give the maximum to everyone we can,” he said. “I think what we have here is a proposal that is one in which the town is recognizing the limits of our ability but also the understanding that we do have the capability of maybe paying a little bit more than other communities.”
Indeed, Orange has been on the forefront of giving breaks to veterans. It was the first town in Connecticut in 2004 to raise its local tax exemption to qualifying veterans from $10,000 to $20,000 after the state made the change possible. It has regularly raised the income limits in accordance with what the state has allowed.
“The Board of Selectman has acted on this in full support each time,” Zeoli said.
Selctman Mitch Goldblatt, who had voiced reservations about the cost of the exemption at the board’s Jan. 9 meeting, voiced his wholehearted support for the ordinance.
“I think the way that attorney (Vincent) Marino has explained his methodology for coming up with the numbers in this ordinance, which meet with the state statute that’s been passed are certainly acceptable, and I certainly hope that we will pass this tonight as written,” he said.
Selectman Ralph Okenquist was the only abstention from the vote. He cited the fact that he is a veteran and might become eligible for the benefit.
The new income limit becomes effective Oct. 1. To claim eligibility, residents must submit an application and income verification to the town assessor.