School tax exemption for seniors
by Joe Kirby
Editorial Page Editor
March 23, 2010 10:05 AM | 2643 views | 32 32 comments | 12 12 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Should Cobb residents over age 62 be exempt from the school tax? They are at present. But with a budget deficit in the range of $100 million or so expected for FY11, school officials have said that “everything is on the table” – presumably meaning even an attempt to take away that exemption.

What do you think? Should seniors pitch in with their tax dollars to try and help the school board out of its jam? Or have seniors already paid their share

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Comments
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No more
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June 29, 2010
Those with a higher income already pay higher taxes. Those with less pay less. The trouble is government, Federal, State, County, local, all want more. Each of us only has a certain amount of income. If taxes and fees continue to rise along with utility bills and food prices, none of us will be able to afford to buy anything. And if don't buy things, companies can't sell things. Buying and selling is what makes our economy work, not taxes. It's time government on all levels learned to economize just like families have had to do.
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an Exempt Senior
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April 03, 2010
Why not exempt Seniors who've lived in Cobb for a minimum number of years? Or make exemption conditional on ALL homeowners in a household being at least 62?

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Cobb Cty. Voter
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April 02, 2010
Of course seniors should pay school taxes just like everyone else. I am tired of their whining about living on a fixed income. Retirement is a 20th century invention. People used to work until they died, until they were not physically able (at which time their families took care of them), or until they were able to afford to retire on their own. My mother is 67 and still working and not because she can't afford to retire with all the entitlements her children and grandchildren are working to pay for. She works because is able to. Elders stop your whining!!! No more entitlements.
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West Cobb Tax Payer
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March 31, 2010
I have to live within my budget, the CCSD needs to learn to do the same. Every extra penny they get, they spend. It's time to cut back! Leave the seniors alone....if you're lucky, you will be one someday.
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A Senior
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March 29, 2010
Trust me, you don't want to see a fight like you

will get if you dare touch this exemption. It

will be ugly because as Seniors we know how to

fight and really stick it where the sun don't

shine. We have had lots of practice and this is

one fight that you WILL NOT WIN!!!!!!!!!
Reply
misterbill
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March 29, 2010
There are many good points in this debate and many not so good. No one brings up the rule of "unintended consequences". I read that it costs $8000per student in Cobb. I also read that someone's school tax was $1300 a year. If the seniors moved out of Cobb and sold to families with,for arguments sake, 3 children. The cost to the school district would be $24000 a year. Most folks scream and holler when things get tough and make decisions that could hurt worse than the current situation.

I have no kids in school, but I would not mind a temporary sales tax to help out and over time, possibly, a graduated by income scale, of school tax for seniors.
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Senior Discount?
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March 28, 2010
How about a senior citizen's discount tax? Where they would pay just 10 - 30% of what their tax rate would be?

I don't like to add taxes to ANYONE - but we're in a crisis here that our county, state and country hasn't seen in a while. If our schools fail, no one is going to want to move to Cobb County. We need to figure out a way that we can all help out in this situation.
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enough already
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March 28, 2010
The Seniors are on a limited income. With the passing of health care this week by the Obama administaration, they will already have to pay more for health care. They don't need additional property tax on top of that.
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JAWS1998
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March 28, 2010
Yes they should. If a school spent $5K per year on a child, then a K-12 education would cost $60K per child. A family with 2 children would have $120K fro 2 K-12 educations. The average home would not cost anywhere near $120K in taxes for that timespan.

When your kids are in school, you are getting a benefit paid for by all (including you). After your kids have graduated/moved on you still have an obligation. Education is a collaborative effort, including the community.
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Ann Bearden
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March 28, 2010
NO - Apartment dwellers should have to pay their share. Supposedly the apartment owners pay for the dwellers but they should be the ones to pay more. An how about all the immigrants that are in Cobb County?
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Mike Jones
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March 28, 2010
P.S Apartment Complex's also pay property taxes, so apartment renters are also paying taxes.
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Mike Jones
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March 28, 2010
Taxation should be equal. Why should one group be given favortism over another? Where does it stop?
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J Balfour
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March 28, 2010
We should be exempt - we have paid school taxes for 42 years, had one child in the system and then only part of the time because she attended private school for several years. After you pay in for 42 years, we'll repeal your exemption and see how you like it.
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Ralph You're Dumb
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March 27, 2010
Ralph,

The owners of the apartments pay property taxes. I know it probably makes you feel good about yourself to say something like that, but you're misinformed and you need to do research before you shoot your keyboard off. On another note, seniors in Cobb shouldn't be allowed to vote in school board elections unless they pay school property taxes. Seniors in most counties pay property taxes and if seniors had to paid school property taxes in Cobb the overall millage rate could probably be lowered. The argument that "I shouldn't have to pay for other peoples kids" is intellectually bankrupt because single people and childless households under 62 have to pay. The senior exemption is outdated and completely unfair to residents in Cobb under the age of 62.
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Ralph in Cobb
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March 27, 2010
Do not tax the seniors....tax the apartment dwellers who have children in our schools....and cut costs like Kennesaw Voter says.
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Kennesaw Voter
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March 27, 2010
Seniors have already paid way more than their fair share....leave them alone....the school system must cut their costs...period.
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Torn
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March 26, 2010
I'm torn on this issue. This is the first state and county that we've lived in (out of 6 different throughouth the U.S.) that exempts it's seniors from school taxes. While I think it's a great perk and an awesome thing to do for our seniors - I'm sure that was voted on when our schools, state and country were in a sound financial situation. I would like to see our families paying a "supply fee" or something first before we resort to adding taxes. We don't pay ANYTHING for our kids to attend public school in Georgia. While that is "nice" - I'm sure that was also decided when we were in a better financial situation. The fee doesn't need to be huge - just $10 - $50 per student. $10 x 100,000 students = $1 million.
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Common Sense
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March 26, 2010
Seniors will only see their property values decline if the schools get worse, which they will. The exemption should at a minimum be tied to income, so those making less than say, $50,000 don't have to pay. The reality is though that Seniors have just as much an investment in the community as everyone else, and if they don't want to invest in the community, then they don't have to live in the community.
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Chuxter
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March 26, 2010
I've never been a fan of the exemption for Seniors for school tax. It unfairly skews tax tables downward. The fair thing to do is to keep everyone in the same pool and adjust taxes on a broad base scale. I am however a proponent for exemptions for military service men, survivors of police and fire, and of the like. As a homeowner with no children, I don't see any benefit from paying school tax, however it would be nice to get a benefit from a lifelong learning program that is so desperately needed in cobb, then at least I'd feel I was paying for something.
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Cobb Taxpayer
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March 25, 2010
I am 66 and do not pay school taxes because the law allows me to file for an exemption - yes that school tax exemption is one of the reasons we stayed in Cobb vs moving to the mountains and we all know or should understand that the "worst ever" school board has zero authority to act on the senior school tax exemption and I have yet to hear any Cobb legislator even bring up the idea of changing the law - which they are they ones that would have to initiate the action. The school board and their powers or influence is really a moot point.
Reply
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