Board expands tax rebate program
Another expansion of the North Penn School District’s real estate tax rebate program is now on the books.
The district’s school board voted unanimously Thursday to increase the rebate level once again to include supplements they say could help offset rising costs for certain low-income residents.
“This is a program that’s targeted to help those who truly need it the most, who truly are hurt the most by an increase in their cost of living,” said finance committee chairman Christian Fusco.
“The’re on fixed incomes, they rarely see an increase in Social Security, they see the price of food go up, the price of heat go up, so it’s really important that we can do something,” he said.
North Penn has offered the rebate program since 2018, which gives residents who meet certain age and/or low income qualifications a rebate on their property taxes paid to the district. For the 2018-19 fiscal year 421 residents had claimed the rebate as of summer 2019, receiving
an average rebate of $81, at a total cost of roughly $33,000 to the district, according to figures provided by the district. In March 2019 the board increased the local rebate amount from 25 to 30 percent of the state rebate, and expanded the eligibility to renters as well as property owners, and held discussions earlier this month about expanding the rebates further for the 2020-21 fiscal year.
Director of Business Administration Steve Skrocki reported Thursday night that, of the district’s budgeted $142,000 in the 201920 budget for the rebates, so far a total of 390 rebate checks totaling just over $41,000 have been issued.
“$107 is the average rebate, and we are actually up 19 percent this year in the number of applicants, and up 61 percent in the amount of rebates issued,” Skrocki said.
Over the past year several residents have raised the question of whether certain supplemental rebates from the state would be offered locally, and the
board voted unanimously Thursday night to offer those supplements, while also increasing the local rebate to 40 percent of the state level.
“The supplemental program, the way that it works is: if an individual pays more than 15 percent of their total income in property taxes, they’re eligible for an additional 50 percent of the base (rebate) amount),” he said.
“For example, if someone receives $650 in a rebate, depending on how much they pay on their real estate taxes, they could be eligible for another $325 in supplements, bringing their grant total to $975,” Skrocki said.
Eligibility for those supplements is vetted by the state and confirmed by the district when residents apply, Fusco and Skrocki said, and could help offset the annual increase in property taxes approved by the board.
“Our ability to help is limited, but this is one way we can try to meet those needs of our community members,” Fusco said.
Starting with the current budget year, school board members have begun hand-delivering those rebate checks to residents
who apply, and Fusco said he’s heard firsthand how helpful the rebates can be.
“People do appreciate it. Even that little amount, people have said they can go out and get themselves something nice that weekend, or they have a grandchild’s birthday coming up and it’s something else they can get for their grandchildren,” he said.
“It is something. It definitely makes that little bit of a difference, and I think it shows there is a commitment on this board’s part, to try to do what we can, not just for the parents, not just for teachers, but for the seniors as well,” Fusco said.
North Penn was the second school district in Pennsylvania to offer the local rebate program, Skrocki said, and will be the first to do so with the supplements. He and district Solicitor Kyle Somers said they’ve been contacted by several other school districts to learn the do’s and don’t of the rebates.
“I think about eight or nine have contacted me, and I know two have actually implemented our program, in essence, in their school district,” Skrocki said.
Board member Jonathan
Kassa said he was surprised to hear “how far and wide that had spread,” and Fusco and board President Tina Stoll said they’ve been asked about it at conferences and meetings with other school boards.
“We get a lot of comments, when we’re out meeting with other school board directors. We’ve had a lot of people ask us, ‘What are you guys doing in your school district?’” Stoll said.
“Other school board directors in other districts also want to help provide their vulnerable seniors with relief. Nobody wants to put a burden on their seniors,” she said.