← Appropriations & Oversight Committee · 2016-06-13 · Appropriations and Oversight Budget Hearing
ORDER-2016-166 : Amending Melrose Revised Ordinances, Chapter 228, Article IV, Section 228-20 (Elderly Discount) as set forth herein
Agenda original PDF
Minutes original PDF
ORDER-2016-166 Amending Revised Ordinances Amending Melrose Revised Ordinances, Chapter 228, Article IV, Section 228-20 (Elderly Discount) as set forth herein Recommend Passage Board of Aldermen
Transcript
▶ 3:48:40 Peter D. Mortimer: And now we have the order before us for the sewer portion of the budget, dash 164, to adopt option 5B for this portion as well. All in favor of the adoption of 5B, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, 5B will be recommended for adoption to the full board for order 2016-164. The next order we have before us is order 2016-166. It is amending Melrose Revised Ordinances Chapter 228, Article 4, Section 228-20, elderly discount as set forth herein. The order is before you.
▶ 3:49:35 Speaker 5: Motion to recommend.
▶ 3:49:36 Peter D. Mortimer: Second. We have a motion to recommend from Alderman MacMaster Margolis, Absolutely seconded by Alderman Inferna.
▶ 3:49:45 Speaker 3: On discussion, Alderman Medeiros, please.
▶ 3:49:47 Monica C. Medeiros: Thank you, I do support this. I'm glad that we had the city solicitor in a few weeks ago, a month ago or so, to talk about this.
▶ 3:50:02 Monica C. Medeiros: He says that he does believe that this is legally justifiable and present a discount of some sort to all income-eligible senior citizens 65 years old and older. And I just wanted to specify that there is an income limitation on this, which I think was not necessarily made as clear as it should be, and I don't want to give everybody the idea that it goes to everyone. It's the yearly gross income, and correct me if I'm wrong, but the yearly gross income does not exceed $15,000 for a single person and $23,000 if filing jointly. And I believe that we've heard that we think that there's going to be, I want to say 700,
▶ 3:50:50 Speaker 2: I believe Mr. Schoen has said that he thought that there would be,
▶ 3:50:55 Monica C. Medeiros: they expect 750 accounts to total a discount of $127,000 to be applied.
▶ 3:51:04 Peter D. Mortimer: Thank you very much, Alderman Medeiros. Alderman Boisselle, please.
▶ 3:51:13 Robert A. Boisselle: In the documentation we have concerning the elderly discount, it gives all the qualifications. Could I have either John or the account to come in and explain to us how they're going to execute it? mean this is a 20% discount on the water bills or is it going to be on their
▶ 3:51:42 Speaker 3: taxes how does that work accounts in condo associations or people residents elderly and condo associations the I was getting to me too now will get the average discount that people of the program so for instance in fiscal 16 it appears that the average discount that a senior received in this program living in a residential home was 156 146 dollars so what we would do is take that average and apply it on the third or fourth quarter real estate tax bill of a condo association owner we would we would create the we would receive the
▶ 3:52:30 Speaker 3: application we would make sure that the application met the criteria and then we would provide a list to the treasurer's office to actually give the discount and the treasurer in order would do an internal transfer between the water and sewer enterprises and the general budget to compensate for that so the owner has
▶ 3:52:48 Speaker 3: to apply for it all the all owners have to apply whether you live in a home or you live in a condo association there will be an application process for that
▶ 3:52:57 Robert A. Boisselle: okay is that sixty six thousand two hundred fifty cubic feet also with the
▶ 3:53:05 Speaker 3: condo that's correct no no what condo associates sixty two fifties with a resident six you can't determine what a condo that was like
▶ 3:53:12 Speaker 1: that was I was wondering how you that's why that right that's that's why they
▶ 3:53:14 Speaker 3: end up with the average of what the people in in homes get okay so what what
▶ 3:53:21 Robert A. Boisselle: What was the maximum, again, that they could get in a discount, $146?
▶ 3:53:26 Speaker 3: Well, if we used this past fiscal year's statistics, 146 was the average. There are seniors that get more than that, and it depends how much water they consume.
▶ 3:53:36 Robert A. Boisselle: Okay, and they make an application for it, and then you evaluate it, and then it's deducted from their tax bill. That's correct.
▶ 3:53:44 Speaker 3: Okay. Condo associations only.
▶ 3:53:46 Robert A. Boisselle: Condo associations only. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Tarrant.
▶ 3:53:51 Speaker 3: Thank you, Alderman Boycelle.
▶ 3:53:53 Peter D. Mortimer: Seeing no further Alderman wishing to be heard on this order, we'll call for the vote. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed, hearing none. Opposed. One opposed. Nevertheless, the elderly discount will be recommended to the full board for passage.