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Community Corner

Re: Notice of Property Tax increase - next re-election platform - reducing elderly living over-head

I sent this to  Howard County Elected Officials - reducing elderly residents  living over-head Re: Notice of Property Tax increase.

 

Seems like the Council is  finding methods to encourage limited and fixed income retired folks to leave Howard County and state of MD. 

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I am a 70 plus year old Howard County resident. 

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Over my working life I have been frugal and fortunate to accumulate property such as a house and lot that the house resides on.  Unlike many, I worked in the private sector receive a small pension.  I have some savings and primarily depend on Social Security.

 

Projecting ahead 15-20 yrs, trying to balance and not out live my savings, I find it very difficult to keep things balanced with what I call hidden inflation for those on a fixed income.

 

My on-going constant effort to reduce and/or keep living overhead expenses under control on a fixed income is an incredible challenge. 

 

I do most of the necessity day to day living supply shopping and deal the daily over head of property taxes and insurances etc.  I constantly look for ways to off-set what I call the “invisible inflation” on the retired and job-less.  Relative to food we buy, Auto repairs, materials for auto maint, Taxes, gov’t fee’s, surcharges, commutation services, utilities etc that I use, I’m experiencing 6 to 8% out of pocket increases year to year. You know the total MD property rate fixed schedule increases. 

 

Please be aware, retired fixed income folks have a different cost of living index relative to a products and services mix than younger working folks and that we also provide a dependable steady stable income flow thru taxes and fees to the community because it’s unlikely that we’re going anywhere until we die. It may be to the counties advantage to keep us around for a stable revenue base, as I’m sure your aware of the revenue base change taking place in Bowies by the exiting of retiring gov’t workers.  

 

A personal  example a cost of living impact  –(other examples, but this is only Ins to illustrate point.- Recently I received my home-owners insurance renewal.  It went up 18.2% from prior year.  I had no claims and our region did not have DISASTERS.  As you know insurance is all about risk. I called (not to name) ins co and end result is I brought prem down to last years level by increasing my deductible up to $2500.00. 

 

Just last week I got my auto insurance new premium notice.  Again another jump in premium.

 

I called USAA (very old established company for only military service folks).  Here’s the numbers which made my decision a no brainer. 

1.) Present auto ins for 3 cars (with no collision due to vehicle age) will be $1197.00 annually  under present carrier (been with them $25 yrs).

2.) USAA (MIRROR IMAGE AUTO Coverage) for 3 cars -- $750.00 annually  (with 1 future accident waiver relative to rate increase due to an accident).

Maybe some hidden Increased risk on my part, but $447 a year less.

 

Now you, present elected officials are advocating property tax increases.

 

Simple request to make part of your next  re-election platform with no complicated special formula.

 

When a MD resident turns 65 years of age, all state and county taxes and fees related to residential property, auto mobile registrations, utilities, communications systems etc…. be reduce by 40% and frozen at that level to time when title changes. 

 

What you are looking at is about a 15 to 20 yr window as to when property will turn over due to old age/death and new tax rates can be collect again.

 

Hope this makes sense.

 

It won’t be long until our elected official management of our public expenses will force me to leave the state and I am not the only one in this stressful position in projecting to making financial ends need until end of life.

 

Sincerely,

 

George Spencer

 

 

 


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