PASCO, Wash. - With this week's passage of two school bonds in Richland and Pasco, homeowners can expect their property taxes to go up. For some, like senior citizens living on fixed incomes, that can be a problem.
Exemptions are available for people who qualify, like seniors 61-years and older or disabled people who live on $35,000 or less a year.
The exemptions apply to taxes related to any voted debt, like bonds. School officials estimate property owners will pay about $34 more a year on a $100,000 home with these new bonds. Which is why the exemption program is so important for people on fixed incomes.
"They have to pay property tax, even if their house is paid for. They don't have that money so it's absolutely crucial for those people that there is a program," said Piper Mitchell of the Frankllin County Assessor's Office.
In Franklin County there are 740 people currently enrolled which equates to roughly $875,000. In Benton County, more than 2,000 property owners claim the exemption, totaling about $2.1 million.
