Mayor Brodeur Announces Senior Relief Package
MELROSE, MA—Mayor Paul Brodeur introduced several measures to the City Council to offset the economic impacts many seniors have experienced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and help them remain in their homes.
“Many of our seniors are on a fixed income and their financial conditions force them to delay retirement or make difficult choices to meet their basic needs,” Mayor Brodeur said. “If passed, these measures will allow seniors remain in the community they helped build.”
In a memo to Melrose City Council, Mayor Brodeur outlined four senior relief proposals: Council on Aging Expansion, Means-Tested Property Tax Exemption, Cost of Living Adjustment, and a Tax Deferral Program.
Massachusetts is home to 350 Councils on Aging, organizations funded by the State, which play a critical role in local senior care from coordinating food delivery to scheduling vaccine appointments. Here in Melrose, the Mayor proposes expanding the Council from five to seven seats.
“I am thrilled Mayor Brodeur is expanding the Council,” COA Executive Director, Stacey Minchello said. “This will allow us to have more diverse representation on the Board, putting us in a better position to serve all seniors in Melrose.”
Chief Assessor, Chris Wilcock, will present this program to the City Council, outlining the Means-Tested Property Tax Exemption, also known as the Circuit Breaker Tax Exemption.
“This is basically a fancy way of saying the tax burden would be distributed a little differently,” Wilcock said. “The tax bill for non-qualifying residents would increase less than .05%, and it would give eligible low-income seniors up to $1,500 in relief. It’s a small price to pay to help seniors stay in their homes and meet their financial challenges.”
Mayor Brodeur stressed that this is a tried and true measure adopted by several neighboring communities such as Reading and Wakefield to great success.
“Some might say that seniors could just downsize,” Mayor Brodeur said, “but that can be incredibly disruptive. Also, the average price for a single-family home has increased four-fold over the last three decades. Quite simply, in this marketplace there aren’t many affordable housing options in Melrose, and I do not believe it is fair to expect our seniors to move a long distance away from our community to find them.”
The Mayor also proposes introducing a cost of living adjustment to keep pace with inflation.
“This cost of living adjustment helps to deliver more fully on the original intent of the program by recognizing that a COLA protects the true value of the exemption in light of the increased pressure of the rising cost of living,” Mayor Brodeur said in his memo.
Finally, Mayor Brodeur is expanding the tax deferral program, which allows certain individuals on a fixed-income to delay paying property taxes and certain municipal costs such as trash, water, and sewer. After a program participant passes away or moves out of their home, the money owed to the city is paid back upon the transfer of ownership, up to 50% of the property value.
“A lot of seniors aren’t even aware this program is available to them, or are afraid to take advantage of it because they think they’re leaving their kids with debt,” COA Director Minchello said. “But participating in this program helps free up their limited cash flow and give them more economic freedom and peace of mind.”
Under Mayor Brodeur’s proposal, eligibility for this program would extend to individuals 60+ whereas it us currently available to those 65 and over.
According to a study by the UMass Gerontology Institute, Massachusetts residents aged 60 to 69 have borne the brunt of this present economic downturn. As of July, 47% of this age group had experienced a loss of income since March 2020.
“Given how much this age bracket has suffered economically through this pandemic, it’s imperative we include them in any relief package,” Mayor Brodeur said.
The Mayor is set to present these proposals to the City Council at upcoming meetings.