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Supports the Proposal

I am a senior. I do not meet eligibility requirements to participate in the proposed tax freeze. Many Madison residents know me for my opposition to excessive budget increases and spending. Others recall that I decry the decades-long inattention to expansion and diversification of revenue sources. Yet I support the proposed Tax Freeze Ordinance for senior tax relief. Here’s why:

Seniors pay more in property taxes to Madison than they use in services provided by Madison. Therefore seniors are a source of surplus revenue that pays for schools, youth services, sports activities, and other services they don’t directly use. Their surplus revenue is distributed to services that are not fully paid for by direct users.

The ordinance defining current tax relief programs in Madison caps seven-tenths of one percent of the combined town and education budgets for senior property tax relief. The proposed Tax Freeze Ordinance will add three-tenths of one percent to the cap. The new one-percent cap is not projected to be reached until 2025.

The “less than one percent” proportionate reallocation to all other property taxpayers is tax deductible on federal income tax returns.

It is a myth that tax freezes grow exponentially forever. Why? Because after a few years, the number of seniors entering the program ceases to substantially exceed the number leaving the program (the elderly eventually move to assisted living, nursing homes, or pass away). The natural cycle of life creates equilibrium.

Our long-term seniors built the five public schools, acquired the town beaches, created the civic organizations, and served on the permanent and ad hoc committees so that the rest of us can enjoy the ambiance of quality education, recreation, history, and culture that is Madison. I thank our seniors.

Barbara L. Davis

Madison