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The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
At last week’s meeting, the Chattanooga City Council voted to raise the income limit for seniors to be eligible for the Senior Tax Freeze program from just under $49,000 to $60,000, close to the current state maximum.
With the council’s approval, the pool of qualified applicants should expand as the roughly $11,000 increase in the income limit will open the program to more residents aged 65 and over.
The initiative was spearheaded by Councilman Ron Elliot who also proposed an amendment to reopen the application period through September 12, 2025.
He withdrew his amendment when City Finance Director Weston Porter informed the council that state officials confirmed the application period ended on April 4 and could not be reopened for the current tax year.
Elliot stated he believes the $60,000 is not a high enough number as property taxes continue to climb across the state and expressed a desire to shield as many seniors as possible from tax hikes.
“Given that this body votes to increase the income limits, it is still a win that we’re not gonna allow more folks in our community to take advantage of this. It’s been [maxed] out. I don’t think $60,000’s enough. And I wish I could do more. The fight does not end here,” he said during the meeting.
Currently, 27 counties and 35 cities participate in the property tax relief program which was approved as a Constitutional amendment by voters in 2006.
If an individual meets the age requirements and the combined income of all primary residence owners is below the prescribed limit, they may apply to have their property tax frozen at the amount of tax paid in the first year qualified, even if rates are increased in the future.
So long as the applicant continues to live on the property and completes an application providing proof of income below the limit, the property tax amount will remain frozen.
Inspired by Elliot, Hamilton County Commissioner David Sharpe is crafting a proposal to institute a property tax freeze program, though County Mayor Weston Wamp has expressed doubt about the benefits of a new program given already existing tax relief options.
“I see the efforts by the Chattanooga City Council to freeze those rates,” said Sharpe. “I want to follow in their footsteps and implement a freeze for the county. This proposal will aim to protect our seniors, particularly on fixed incomes, from being priced out of their homes, which is a real possibility with these increases that we’ve seen recently.”
But Mayor Wamp called the proposal “disappointing” and stated that “the state’s County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) has since confirmed that enacting a tax freeze now would have absolutely no impact on the recent reappraisals. Such a freeze would have had to be enacted before January of this year to impact this year’s property taxes- something he either doesn’t understand or chose to ignore in an attempt to score political points.”
Sharpe issued a stern response to Wamp’s statements, saying the mayor is either “confused or deliberately misleading the public” and calling attention to his support of Wamp’s senior tax relief proposal in 2023, which Sharpe also claims was the same measure as one he himself proposed in 2019.
Supposedly, Sharpe is planning to meet with the county attorney’s office to prepare an official resolution for the commission’s next meeting agenda.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
