Iacobucci Proposes ‘FREEZE 65’ Plan.

Mayoral candidate Tom Iacobucci today proposed changing the Town’s property tax structure to reduce the impact of tax hikes on retired homeowners.

“Senior citizens are an important part of the fabric of our community,” Iacobucci explained. “Yet they have had to bear the brunt of the past years’ tax increases. Most are living on fixed incomes, Social Security and maybe a little bit of other retirement income. They have been hit with year after year of double-digit tax increases. Who plans for their retirement, expecting 15 to 40 percent tax increases each year?”

Skyrocketing property values have driven the past years’ tax hikes. Iacobucci’s proposal would freeze the property valuation of homeowners who have reached 65 years of age and have retired. “Plain and simple: whatever your home is valued at, when you turn 65, is what is will stay valued at, as long as you own the property,” Iacobucci explained.

The “Freeze 65” program would be available to homeowners who are at least 65 years old, who are retired, and who have owned property in Amesbury for at least 10 years. As Mayor, Iacobucci would sponsor special legislation to implement the program, which would also require approval by the Municipal Council and the state Legislature.

Southampton Road resident Wendell Jenkins said, "Tom Iacobucci cares about Amesbury's seniors. Tom has a proven record here in Amesbury. He has real ideas to look after our needs. His 'Freeze 65' plan will help people like me stay in their homes."

“I value all the people who have made Amesbury their home, who have raised their families here, served on Town boards, volunteered with the PTA.,” Iacobucci said “I hear from them, every time their tax bills rise. I know the choices they have to make: do they pay for heat, or food, or medicine, or their tax bill? Do they try to keep on paying their own way, or sign up for the tax deferment program, or just sell their house and move?”

“I want to keep our senior citizens here in Amesbury,” Iacobucci said. “As Mayor, I will fight to change our tax system so that everyone can afford to stay here.”

In a press release, Iacobucci’s opponent has attacked the plan as “illegal under Proposition 2 ”.

“Anyone with a municipal finance background should know that Proposition 2 is a state law, just like the hundreds of other state laws that regulate municipal finance,” Iacobucci explained. “I can’t imagine why my opponent would think that Proposition 2 would prevent the Legislature from approving Freeze 65. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed special legislation allowing the Town of Sandwich to change the tax bill on a single piece of property. Last year, the Legislature allowed the City of Peabody to use a special method to value a single piece of property. Over the past few years, the Legislature has approved many special acts, allowing various municipalities to expand property tax exemption or deferral programs to include homeowners who are as young as 60. So why would the Legislature turn down my proposal to freeze property valuations of homeowners who are 65?”

“I am quite familiar with Proposition 2 ,” Iacobucci said. “Proposition 2 does not prohibit the Legislature from passing special legislation at the request of a city or town. The Legislature passes special legislation to implement municipal programs all the time.”

A recent study published by the Kennedy School of Government found that “special legislation consistently makes up more than 50 percent of all laws passed by the state each year.”

“The Legislature understands that sometimes state programs need to be tailored so that they will work better in a particular municipality. It happens all the time. Anyone who has worked closely with legislators should know that,” Iacobucci said. “Amesbury needs to start taking advantage of the opportunity to make small changes like this, in order to move forward. All it takes is hard work and fresh thinking backed by good research.”

“Freeze 65+ is a simple plan with a simple goal: to help stabilize the tax bills of our senior citizen homeowners. The tax rate will still fluctuate, so their tax bills will still change according to the Town’s spending decisions. But Freeze 65+ will stabilize the property valuations. Skyrocketing property valuations have been the biggest problem for our senior citizens during the past few years,” Iacobucci said.

“I am tired of seeing senior citizens forced into the property tax deferral program. Seniors take pride in carrying their weight in the community. They don't want hand-outs from the town every year” Iacobucci said. “I would like to stabilize their tax bills and keep our senior citizens on the rolls of current taxpayers. That would be better for everyone.”