October 17, 2022
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cynthia Tarail
Contact email address: ctarail@easthamptonma.gov
EASTHAMPTON COUNCIL ON AGING RECRUITING SENIOR TAX WORK OFF CANDIDATES
Easthampton, MA - The City of Easthampton is accepting applications for the Senior Tax Work-Off program, in which Easthampton homeowners who are 60 years of age or older and meet other guidelines perform work in exchange for a property tax reduction. While participants have an opportunity to lower their property tax bill, taxpayers benefit from the superior talent and work experience participants bring to the job at a very low cost to the City. The reduction for this third year of a 3-year pilot program will be taken on the FY’24 real estate property tax bill.
Work includes indoor and outdoor positions at the Council on Aging, City Hall, the Parks Department, and Public Safety. Workers who complete the maximum of 100 hours receive a $1500 credit on their property taxes at the rate of $15.00 per hour, or if fewer than 100 hours, a prorated credit. Applications will be accepted until November 30th. Work is performed between January 1, 2023, and October 31, 2023. Eligibility for the program is as follows:
60 years of age or older at the time of application
Easthampton resident and homeowner (work can be completed by a proxy on a case-by-case basis)
Property for which the tax credit is requested must be the primary residence of the owner
Property tax and water and sewer payments are current
Limited to one $1,500 work-off per household
Annual gross income (including Social Security) is a maximum of $63,940 for an individual and $72,960 for a couple.
Applications and information are located at the Easthampton senior center, city hall or www.easthamptonma.gov under Departments, Council on Aging. A lottery will be triggered if the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of available positions. Applicants will be interviewed and should prepare to share their resume and references. For more information, contact Cynthia Tarail, Director, Easthampton Council on Aging at 413-527-6151 extension 134 or via email at ctarail@easthamptonma.gov.