Councillor Steve Morabito proposed a motion during Monday night’s council meeting for the City Council to accept Section 5N of Chapter 59 of the Massachusetts General Laws regarding tax abatements for veterans.
In addition, Morabito asked that the mayor, with the approval of the council, establish a tax-abatement program to allow veterans, as defined in Clause 43 of Section 7 of Chapter 4 for a spouse of a veteran in the case where the veteran is deceased or has a service-connected disability, to volunteer to provide services to that city or town.
“A veteran came up to me and said he needed more relief,†Morabito said.
In exchange for such volunteer services, the city or town shall reduce the real property tax obligations of that veteran on the veteran’s tax bills, and that reduction shall be in addition to any exemption or abatement to which that person is otherwise entitled; provided, however, that person shall not receive a rate of, or be credited with, more than the current minimum wage of the Commonwealth per hour for the services provided pursuant to that reduction; and provided further, that the reduction of the real property tax bill shall not exceed $1,000 in a given tax year.
Director of Veterans Services Marc Silvestri said his only concern was the impact on the taxes.
“The council needs to crunch the numbers,†Silvestri said, adding there are currently some abatements in place. “This is similar for the elderly working for an abatement.â€
“No one deserves more of an abatement than our military men,†Morabito said.
