Alexandria — As part of a proposed budget Jane King and Robert Eiffert [“Mixed Messages to Seniors,” Letters, Gazette Packet, April 10] have taken exception to a proposed cut in property tax assistance to seniors/disabled individuals. Instead of the proposed assistance package which imposes a $500,000 cap on assets they want to increase that limit to a base of $700,000 indexed for inflation. While I recognize the need to help those who are truly in need, I also think that we need to consider the total package of benefits that accrue to seniors/disabled individuals. For example, many of the seniors we are talking about already enjoy a generous $12,000 per person deduction from the state in addition to the additional deduction they get at the federal level. There are also a number of tax deductions/credits for disabled people (like parking for free in Alexandria). In order to have these special exceptions everyone else needs to pay more, including those who are living on fixed incomes. The city has proposed a reasonable criteria to ensure that the people who are the most in need continue to receive assistance.
Asking the taxpayers of Alexandria to provide property tax assistance for individuals who live in $700,000 homes is ridiculous. I would be interested in finding out more about how they arrived at this figure and how many more people would be eligible for assistance in maintaining a lifestyle which reportedly they cannot afford.
Micheline Eyraud, Alexandria