Fair Oaks Ranch officials are continuing the process to implement a new tax exemption for disabled and senior residents in the city – an ordinance that hasn’t been addressed since the 1980s – and opinions among council and resident remain split.
After much discussion and input from citizens, what could have been a second and final hearing altering property tax exemptions in the city reverted back to a first reading after the exemption was amended during a recent council meeting. Although there was some pushback on the city “shifting the tax burden” to younger residents, the majority of council members remained in support of the measure.
“Are there challenges out there, yes there are,” FOR Mayor Greg Maxton said, noting the increases in market and appraised property values and inflation and the impact it has on older residents with fixed incomes. “If we as a city can provide some relief to some of our residents, I would say that’s part of our responsibility. If we can help them, can we do that? So the first thing I looked at was, does it put our city in jeopardy? Are we at risk because of this action?
