COLORADO SPRINGS — Voters in Colorado will get to decide if more veterans with disabilities should get property tax relief.
Right now, veterans must have a 100% disability rating to qualify for the state’s property tax exemption.
A law amendment wants to expand the eligibility requirements.
That’s on the November ballot.
If this amendment passes, veterans with lower disability ratings who can not work because of it will also qualify.
“It would help a lot of disabled vets like myself,” said Philip Howe who lives in Colorado Springs.
Howe believes he would qualify if voters passed this amendment.
Philip told me he was in the army for six years, has a 70% disability rating and has not been able to work for the last two years.
“It would definitely be a financial relief to pay less on property tax as a disabled veteran on a fixed income,” said Howe.
The El Paso County Accessor, Mark Flutcher, told me veterans who qualify could get a property tax exemption of up to $100,000 worth of property.
“Every little bit helps, you know, it’ll help with groceries and bills,” said Howe.
The state started this tax relief program for veterans with disabilities in 2007. “Since inception, we’ve approved about 8,600 [El Paso County] applications, just under,” said Flutcher.
If this passes, the property tax exemption changes will go into effect on January 1st. Veterans with disabilities need to apply through the county assessor by July
“[I’m] pretty optimistic about it [passing] because we are in a military state, especially Colorado Springs, it’s a military town,” said Howe.
The state reimburses county treasurers for lost revenue from these property tax exemptions.
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