← Legal & Legislative Committee · 2026-03-23 · Legal & Legislative Committee
Requesting an increase to the exemption amount of the Veterans Tax Work Off Program abatement from $1,000 per year to $1,500 per year, as authorized by Chapter 59, Section 5K of the Massachusetts General Laws.
Agenda original PDF
Minutes original PDF
B. (ID # 2026-617): Requesting an increase to the exemption amount of the Veterans Tax Work Off Program abatement from $1,000 per year to $1,500 per year, as authorized by Chapter 59, Section 5K of the Massachusetts General Laws. Motion to Recommend made by Councilor Vandiver Seconded by President Freeman All were in favor and motion passed RESULTS: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] TO: City Council AYES: Maya Jamaleddine, Bradley Freeman, Elizabeth Kowal, Kim Vandiver NAYS: None ABSENT: Manjula Karamcheti, Cal Finocchiaro Comments on discussion: -Councilor Vandiver asked can you share the number of veterans and the number of dollars currently in the program? Tammy replied I have just recently began this position in July. This program's not running currently because, as Lauren said, we're in the middle of two different things, because we need to codify it, so we haven't started the program for 2026. I don't have an exact number of how many people will be in the program, and I wasn't here last year. I do know that we have consistently had veterans and veteran family members participate in this program since 2012, but I don't have an exact number, being that I just started in the office in July. 3 -President Freeman asked can you give an example of some of the employment opportunities available to veterans if they partake in this program? Tammy replied that some of the things that would be available would be volunteering with the Veterans Food Pantry, which we have once a month, Memorial Day activities, Veterans Day activities, food drives and outreach events, different things, Thanksgiving and holiday support, office and administrative support. These are all things that are just within the Veterans Department specifically. President Freeman asked if you have a senior citizen who's also a veteran and they avail themselves to the senior citizen tax abatement, are they also able to claim the veterans abatement. No, they must choose only one program and they couldn't double dip in those two contracts. The Veterans Advisory Board had brought to our attention that there is state legislation pending to raise the amount from $1,500, where it currently is, to $2,000, so that it would match the senior property tax work off. So, once it does make its way through the State House, we'll be back to you all to increase it again. -Councilor Vandiver asked if there is a provision to allow someone else to do the work for the veteran, and no it must be the veteran or a veteran family dependent. -Chair Jamaleddine asked if there is a limit to the number of abatements per household, for example if a household has 2 veterans, and it is limited to one per household.
Transcript
▶ 9:27 Maya Jamaleddine: Seeing none, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Any oppose? Okay. Thank you. This is passed- Thank you ... and will be recommended to the full council.
▶ 9:37 Maya Jamaleddine: Next is ID number 2026-617, requesting an increase to the exemp- exemption amount of the Veterans Tax Work Off Program abatement pro- from one thousand per year to, fifteen hundred per year as authorized by Chapter 59, Section 5K of the Massachusetts General Law. Good evening.
▶ 10:02 Speaker 3: Hi. Can I start?
▶ 10:03 Speaker 4: Yeah. Hello. Hi. Uh, my name is Tamara Shovelton. I'm the Director of Veteran Services, here for the City of Melrose. So we're coming to you today asking to raise the amount of the, Veteran Tax Work Off Program from one thousand to fifteen hundred, which was raised by the state already. Um, this raising of this amount will greatly help our veterans who are able to be in this program to help, with their tax burden for their property taxes.
▶ 10:33 Maya Jamaleddine: Perfect. Would you like to add anything?
▶ 10:36 Speaker 4: Um, I'll just add, I think, Colonel Driscoll mentioned this in his comments
▶ 10:42 Speaker 2: that, the program dates back to 2012 when the city council or then board of aldermen did adopt the Mass General Law with this provision. Um, and before you is a second order to codify the program, which is, being held in A&O. So we've got kind of a two-part to this. Um, but also just wanna give credit to Ms. Shovelton for kind of coming in, you know, she's been here less than a year, and realizing that we needed to do some of these things, and to the Veterans Advisory Board for, encouraging and supporting the administration to put the increase before you all.
▶ 11:13 Maya Jamaleddine: Yes, of course. Thank you. Any question from my colleagues? Uh, Councilor Vanderberg.
▶ 11:20 Kimberly Vandiver: Thank you. Um, can you share, the number of veterans who currently are part of the program and the k- dollar-- the number of people and the number of amount of, dollars currently in the program?
▶ 11:32 Speaker 4: So as I have just recently began this position in July, we-- this program's not running currently because, as Lauren said, we're in the middle of, of two different things 'cause we need to codify it, so we haven't started the program for 2026. So I don't have an exact number of how many people will be in the program, and I wasn't here last year. I do know that we have consistently had veterans and veteran family members participate in this program since 2012, but I don't have an exact number, being that I just started in the office in July.
▶ 12:07 Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. Okay. Thank you.
▶ 12:09 Maya Jamaleddine: Um, President Freeman.
▶ 12:11 Bradley Freeman: Uh, just two quick questions. One, can you just give an example of some of the-employment opportunities available to the veterans if they partake in this program?
▶ 12:19 Speaker 4: Oh, absolutely. Um, so some of the things that would be available would be, like, volunteering with the veterans food pantry, which we have once a month, Memorial Day activities, Veterans Day activities, food drives and outreach events, different things, Thanksgiving and holiday support, office and administrative support. Those are all things that are just within the veterans department specifically.
▶ 12:40 Bradley Freeman: Wonderful. And then my second question is if you have a senior citizen who's also a veteran, and they avail themselves to the senior citizen tax abatement, are they also able to claim this? So it's, it's, it's one, and they would do the other one 'cause the other one's a larger threshold.
▶ 12:53 Speaker 4: The o- it's, it's either a or. And so most senior citizens, I imagine, would do the other one. But because there is a large list for that one, and there, there might not be enough spots, if there are veterans that maybe didn't get a spot in the senior citizen tax write-off, they would be eligible to then do the veterans tax write-off, but they couldn't double dip in those two programs.
▶ 13:11 Speaker 5: That, that's great that it's another opportunity, though, so thank you.
▶ 13:14 Speaker 2: And, again, the Veterans Advisory Board, had brought to our attention that there is state legislation pending, to raise the amount from fifteen hundred, where it currently is, to two thousand, so that it would match the senior property tax work off. So once that does make its way through the State House, would be back to you all to increase it again.
▶ 13:34 Maya Jamaleddine: Yeah. Awesome. Any other question? Councilor Vandiver.
▶ 13:38 Kimberly Vandiver: Thank you. Uh, I was just remembering that recently with the senior citizen work off program, I believe we approved language allowing someone else to do the work on their behalf. I just wanna check. In this case, we're not-- we don't have that type of provision, right?
▶ 13:53 Speaker 4: No, we don't have that type of provision. For the Veterans Tax Write-off program, you have to be a veteran or a veteran family dependent, as, as laid out by Massachusetts general law for what distinguishes a veteran and a veteran dependent.
▶ 14:05 Speaker 2: Okay. Thank you.
▶ 14:06 Speaker 1: No problem.
▶ 14:08 Maya Jamaleddine: Awesome. I actually have a follow-up question on Councilor Vandiver question. So is it per household, fifteen hundred, or is it- It's per household. Per household. So if we have two veterans, it will still qualify for-
▶ 14:23 Speaker 4: For one household. Yep. Yes.
▶ 14:24 Maya Jamaleddine: Excuse me. Okay. Um, what is the will of the, committee?
▶ 14:29 Kimberly Vandiver: I'll make a motion to recommend. Second.
▶ 14:31 Maya Jamaleddine: We have a motion to recommend made by Councilor Vandiver, seconded by President Freeman. On discussion. Seeing none, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay. This motion passes. Congratulations. Thank you for coming and testifying on this.
▶ 14:46 Speaker 4: Thank you for your time.
▶ 14:50 Maya Jamaleddine: Um, next we have ID number twenty twenty-six dash four seventy-five, that the Melrose City Council vote to dissolve the Melrose, Redevelopment Authority. And we have, Director Massa.